(PHOTO: DOH FACEBOOK PAGE)
Communities across Lanao del Sur now have better access to emergency medical care after the Department of Health (DOH) distributed 41 fully equipped ambulances to local governments in the province, including 39 municipalities, Marawi City, and the provincial government.
“Forty-one ambulances for 39 municipalities, one province, and one city,” Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said during the turnover held Friday, July 11.
Each ambulance, according to DOH, is fitted with advanced life support systems and intended for use in critical emergencies, and not just patient transport.
“Hindi po ito Patient Transport Vehicle, complete ambulance po ‘yan with life-saving equipment (These are not just patient transport vehicles; these are complete ambulances with life-saving equipment),” he said.
“So iba po ‘yung regular transport na sasakyan lang, ito talagang life-saving equipment (This isn’t a regular transport vehicle; this truly has life-saving equipment).”
To ensure proper use of the medical equipment, Herbosa said local health personnel will undergo training.
“I am instructing my regional director, Regional Director Legaspi, to actually help with our Health Emergency Management Bureau to help train our personnel in BARMM—to actually use all the equipment that [are] found inside the ambulance,” he said.
The DOH said the ambulances are already in place and ready to be used across Lanao del Sur, especially in remote areas where patients often face long travel times to reach hospitals.
The initiative is part of the agency’s broader goal to improve emergency response and strengthen health systems in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).