Go files bill that will institutionalize emergency medical services nationwide
Published Jul 16, 2019 03:26 pm
By Mario Casayuran
Neophyte Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Tuesday filed Senate Bill 394, the "Emergency Medical Services System (EMSS) Act of 2019," to institutionalize a 24-hour emergency medical services system in the country to respond to emergency needs of Filipinos nationwide.
Senator-elect Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go (MANILA BULLETIN)
Go said that it is high time for government to provide an effective and organized EMSS system to properly address the immediate concerns of Filipinos who encounter medical emergencies.
He said his bill institutionalizes President Duterte’s Emergency 911 hotline for a comprehensive EMSS.
Go explained that the bill aims to set up a system that would give government the necessary tools and capabilities to respond to medical emergencies encountered by Filipino families.
Under the bill, all local government units (LGUs) are mandated to establish an emergency medical service system in their areas of jurisdiction as well as dispatch centers where constituents can call in cases of emergencies.
They shall also ensure the availability of adequate emergency transport vehicles or ambulances with qualified EMS personnel. A nationwide emergency hotline number will be established to enable the public to access emergency medical services.
The bill also states that a dispatch center will be set up for all LGUs that will be fully integrated and connected to the National Command Center. The dispatch centers will link all Filipinos with the emergency resources of the government.
Go’s bill states that the public will just have to dial a dedicated hotline number and the responder will be able to attend to the emergency situation in a nationwide level.
The bill also mandates the creation of minimum number of plantilla positions for EMS personnel in all government hospitals/health facilities.
Once the bill is passed into law, an EMSS Council will be established with the Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) as Chairperson and the Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH) as Co-Chairperson. The heads of DOTR, DICT, OCD, TESDA, CHED, Philippine Red Cross, and Philhealth will also be part of the council.
The EMSS council will serve as the primary agency responsible for promoting and crafting a national policy and system of emergency medical response.
It will also be mandated to develop national standards for the provision of emergency medical services to include, among others, the skills and competencies required for EMS personnel and the development of mandatory national emergency medical services treatment protocols to be observed by EMS personnel and such other entities as it may consider appropriate.
Moreover, the EMSS council will ensure the establishment of a system of networking and coordination among all existing government health agencies, LGUs, and private and non-government medical institutions for the effective implementation of the law. It will monitor compliance by all LGUs and government and private health facilities with the standards and requirements set out.
Among its other functions, it will also aim to integrate the training and study of Standard Basic Life Support and First Aid in different kinds of situations and emergencies in the curriculum of all public and private tertiary educational institutions.
As proposed in the bill, funding for the creation and implementation of the EMSS will be sourced from appropriations of all concerned agencies and local government units. Additional funds and possible fund sources as may be necessary for its implementation shall be identified and provided by the Department of Budget and Management.
Aside from the proposed EMSS Act, Go also filed Senate Bill 400 or the "Anti-Prank Callers Act of 2019" which prohibits mischievous or malicious telephone call to trick or fool the person on the other line.
This is to prevent the improper use of telecommunications devices on emergency hotlines and will penalize these malicious acts. Such behaviors are described as calls made with the intention to annoy, abuse, threaten, harass, or solicit any comment, request, suggestion, or sound which is obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy or indecent, or a call intending to make false requests or false alarm of an emergency, knowing the report or information or alarm to be false.
The measure seeks to complement Go's proposed Emergency Medical Services Systems (EMSS) Act of 2019 that provides for the formalization of an emergency service hotline desk akin to the 911 system in Davao City.
Go emphasized that the EMSS system, once put into place and operational, must be used responsibly. Therefore, a legislation to curb prank calling must be put in place.
He said that making quality healthcare more accessible to all Filipinos is one of his top priorities in the Senate.
Senator-elect Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go (MANILA BULLETIN)
Go said that it is high time for government to provide an effective and organized EMSS system to properly address the immediate concerns of Filipinos who encounter medical emergencies.
He said his bill institutionalizes President Duterte’s Emergency 911 hotline for a comprehensive EMSS.
Go explained that the bill aims to set up a system that would give government the necessary tools and capabilities to respond to medical emergencies encountered by Filipino families.
Under the bill, all local government units (LGUs) are mandated to establish an emergency medical service system in their areas of jurisdiction as well as dispatch centers where constituents can call in cases of emergencies.
They shall also ensure the availability of adequate emergency transport vehicles or ambulances with qualified EMS personnel. A nationwide emergency hotline number will be established to enable the public to access emergency medical services.
The bill also states that a dispatch center will be set up for all LGUs that will be fully integrated and connected to the National Command Center. The dispatch centers will link all Filipinos with the emergency resources of the government.
Go’s bill states that the public will just have to dial a dedicated hotline number and the responder will be able to attend to the emergency situation in a nationwide level.
The bill also mandates the creation of minimum number of plantilla positions for EMS personnel in all government hospitals/health facilities.
Once the bill is passed into law, an EMSS Council will be established with the Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) as Chairperson and the Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH) as Co-Chairperson. The heads of DOTR, DICT, OCD, TESDA, CHED, Philippine Red Cross, and Philhealth will also be part of the council.
The EMSS council will serve as the primary agency responsible for promoting and crafting a national policy and system of emergency medical response.
It will also be mandated to develop national standards for the provision of emergency medical services to include, among others, the skills and competencies required for EMS personnel and the development of mandatory national emergency medical services treatment protocols to be observed by EMS personnel and such other entities as it may consider appropriate.
Moreover, the EMSS council will ensure the establishment of a system of networking and coordination among all existing government health agencies, LGUs, and private and non-government medical institutions for the effective implementation of the law. It will monitor compliance by all LGUs and government and private health facilities with the standards and requirements set out.
Among its other functions, it will also aim to integrate the training and study of Standard Basic Life Support and First Aid in different kinds of situations and emergencies in the curriculum of all public and private tertiary educational institutions.
As proposed in the bill, funding for the creation and implementation of the EMSS will be sourced from appropriations of all concerned agencies and local government units. Additional funds and possible fund sources as may be necessary for its implementation shall be identified and provided by the Department of Budget and Management.
Aside from the proposed EMSS Act, Go also filed Senate Bill 400 or the "Anti-Prank Callers Act of 2019" which prohibits mischievous or malicious telephone call to trick or fool the person on the other line.
This is to prevent the improper use of telecommunications devices on emergency hotlines and will penalize these malicious acts. Such behaviors are described as calls made with the intention to annoy, abuse, threaten, harass, or solicit any comment, request, suggestion, or sound which is obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy or indecent, or a call intending to make false requests or false alarm of an emergency, knowing the report or information or alarm to be false.
The measure seeks to complement Go's proposed Emergency Medical Services Systems (EMSS) Act of 2019 that provides for the formalization of an emergency service hotline desk akin to the 911 system in Davao City.
Go emphasized that the EMSS system, once put into place and operational, must be used responsibly. Therefore, a legislation to curb prank calling must be put in place.
He said that making quality healthcare more accessible to all Filipinos is one of his top priorities in the Senate.