The group that founded the 16-year-old Hospital On Wheels (HOW) initiative launched the motorcycle chariot ambulance on Saturday, a prototype it hopes barangays could use in providing fast transport for emergency medical services (EMS).
The ambulance on three wheels is envisioned to address the difficulties that responders face when transporting patients in residential areas where roads and alleys are too narrow for a regular ambulance to pass through.
It would be equipped with basic life support equipment, including an automated CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) machine.
“Ang goal po ng HOW motorcycle ambulance is to train kasi hindi namin masasakop lahat. Unang una wala kaming resources to do so (The goal of the motorcycle ambulance is to train because we cannot provide service to everyone. First of all, we don’t have that much of resources to do so),” Dr. Jim. Sanchez, founder of the HOW Philippines, said at a press conference in Quezon City.
“While this is a prototype we can still use it in our missions but its primary goal is to train and produce more (motorcycle ambulance),” he added.
Sanchez said HOW Philippines is ready to provide free EMS training through the Professional Emergency Medical Services Association of the Philippines Inc. (PEMSAP) to local government units (LGUs) interested to invest in their own motorcycle ambulance.
Meanwhile, he assured that HOW Philippine would continue with its hospital on wheels operations and even promised to dedicate a separate medical mission this year for jeepney drivers and media professionals.
The group provides various medical services such as surgeries, treatments, vision screening, and dental services, among others, with its Volvo hospital bus hosting three operating rooms.
To date, the Hospital On Wheels has provided more than 30,000 free surgeries nationwide for hernia, cleft lip, and tumors, among others, with each operation amounting to an average of PHP50,000.
“Libre po iyan dahil sa tulong tulong ng mga volunteers, philantrophists, Fil-Americans (Those are all free because we get help from volunteers, philantrophists, Filipino-Americans) and organizations,” he said. (PNA)
