GEORGE TOWN, Aug 5 (Bernama) -- The 'D’Pearl' team from the Penang Civil Defence Force (APM) won the Innovative and Creative Group (KIK) category at the national-level Civil Defence Innovation Awards (AIPA) with its Transparent Ambulance Trainer, an innovation designed to improve emergency medical training.
North Seberang Perai (SPU) District Civil Defence Officer, Junior Lieutenant (PA) Syukran Ahmad Amir Shaharuddin, said the ambulance simulation training module was developed to enhance the effectiveness of emergency medical personnel training and was initiated by SPU District Civil Defence Officer Captain (PA) Salman Rahimi Manaf.
He said the innovation addresses the limitations of conventional ambulance training, where the cramped and enclosed cabin makes it difficult for instructors and trainees to observe treatment procedures clearly.
“The Transparent Ambulance Trainer allows ambulance-based training to be conducted in halls or auditoriums, enabling trainees and members of the public to observe how treatment is carried out inside an ambulance.
“Previously, training could only be conducted inside an actual ambulance, where the limited space meant only a handful of people could observe the demonstration at one time,” he told Bernama today.
Syukran Ahmad, who presented the project during the competition, said the trainer replicates the interior of a Grade B APM ambulance and is equipped with actual medical equipment, including stretchers, splints, and cervical collars, to provide a realistic training environment.
He added that the modular design enables the unit to be dismantled, transported in a utility vehicle, and reassembled at training venues with ease.
“If an actual ambulance is used, perhaps only five or six people can observe the training at one time. With this model, hundreds or even thousands of participants can watch the demonstration simultaneously.
“It also enables hands-on training to be conducted in conditions that closely resemble a real ambulance environment,” he said.
The innovation also incorporates digital features, including a camera mounted above the stretcher to display treatment procedures in real time and QR codes attached to each piece of equipment, allowing users to access information on its functions and proper use.
Syukran said the Transparent Ambulance Trainer was developed in about three months at a cost of less than RM10,000 using materials such as acrylic and foam, significantly cheaper than a similar model developed in Japan, which reportedly cost around RM10 million.
Before the competition, the prototype was evaluated by several institutions, including the Sultan Azlan Shah Ministry of Health Training Institute (ILKKM) in Tanjung Rambutan and the MARA Skills Institute (IKM), to obtain expert feedback and further refine the design.
The nine-member D’Pearl team outperformed seven other finalists in the KIK category at the competition held at the APM headquarters in Kajang, Selangor, which featured more than 30 teams competing across various innovation categories.
The victory earned the Penang APM a RM5,000 cash prize, a trophy, and a certificate.
Looking ahead, Syukran expressed hope that the Transparent Ambulance Trainer would be adopted more widely throughout the APM as well as by public and private medical training institutions to enhance the quality of emergency medical training nationwide.
-- BERNAMA