PH Red Cross strengthens emergency pre-hospital care in the country
Emergency pre-hospital care in the country is expected to be more accessible after the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Project concluded on a high note.

PRC on July 1 said that the PRC EMS is a three-year tripartite agreement with the American Red Cross and Magen David Adom in Israel. It officially concluded on June 30.
The PRC EMS project has resulted in the establishment of seven EMS Training Centers in strategic locations that will act as regional training areas for all things related to EMS.
PRC said that that EMS Project, with funds amounting to $1.2 million, aims to professionalize and standardize the PRC EMS system, making PRC a top-tier service provider when it comes to emergency pre-hospital care.
Among the accomplishments of the project is the integration of the Israeli-made Command and Control System to the PRC Operations Center (OpCen).
PRC noted that this enabled the OpCen to swiftly dispatch ambulance units and teams from Chapters all across the country at a moment’s notice, quickly responding to emergency response teams to areas that they are needed.
The PRC EMS project also accomplished the development of four major protocols on ambulance operations, emergency dispatch, patient care and treatment, and protocols during mass casualty incidents.
“The project also provided much-needed equipment to selected Chapters and critical training to relevant personnel,” PRC said. “What is impressive about the project is that all these were done during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,” it added.
Meanwhile, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard Gordon thanked PRC’s partners in the American Red Cross and Magen David Adom in Israel for the “very generous support they have given through this project.”
“The accomplishments on this project truly push our EMS system to attain the PRC ethos of Always First, Always Ready, Always There,” Gordon added.
Through the project, PRC said that more than 2,000 EMS staff and volunteers from various Chapters across the country were trained in responding to mass casualty incidents and providing quality patient care during emergency scenarios.
PRC noted that the establishment of the EMS protocols and training centers is the “first of its kind in the country’s EMS landscape.”