PETALING JAYA, Oct 26 — The Malaysian Red Crescent (MRC) will be preparing their doctors to help in the fight against Ebola in West Africa, where there is a dire need for medical personnel.

MRC deputy chairman Datuk Dr Bahari Abu Mansor said they were drafting courses for their volunteer doctors so they would be ready if their services were required.

“We have not received any calls from the Red Cross Society there but our doctors must be prepared. We could receive a call at any time and we must be able to respond immediately,” he said.

Dr Bahari said the volunteers still required training because they had not come across the deadly virus before.

A volunteer himself, he said the Red Crescent and Red Cross did not have the option of opting out when a sister branch requested help.

“If they call us tomorrow, we will make sure our doctors are prepared to handle the situation,” he said.

Voluntary organisations in Malaysia, like MRC, are concerned about the Ebola outbreak but admit there was not much effort within the country to help the stricken West African nations.

St John Ambulance deputy national president Datuk Seri S. Subramaniam, who is also the health minister, said he was uncertain if the organisation would be sending any personnel to volunteer in West Africa.

However, he said there were two Malaysian doctors, who are with the international non-governmental organisation Doctors Without Borders, currently volunteering in West Africa.

A spokesman from Mercy Malaysia said there had been no decision from the management yet on whether to deploy volunteers to West Africa.

“As of now, there is no discussion on sending any Mercy volunteers there,” the spokesman said.