PASAY CITY -- Senator Christopher “Bong” Go earlier filed his Senate Bill entitled "Emergency Medical Services System (EMSS) Act of 2022" to institutionalize an emergency medical services system in the country to respond to emergency needs of Filipinos nationwide 24/7.
“Dapat maging mabilis, maayos at maaasahan ang serbisyo ng gobyerno pagdating sa oras ng sakuna at iba pang medical emergencies,” Go said, adding that he seeks to emulate Davao City which is one of the cities in the country to have its own state-of-the-art EMSS.
The senator then stressed that it is high time for the government to institutionalize an efficient and well-organized EMSS system nationwide to adequately handle the urgent needs of Filipinos who experience medical emergencies.
“Matagal na itong pangarap ng bawat Pilipino na magkaroon ng emergency number kung saan makakahingi tayo ng tulong mula gobyerno. Nasimulan na ang Emergency 911 hotline na itinatag ni dating pangulong (Rodrigo) Duterte. Mas palakasin pa natin ito sa pamamagitan ng pag-institutionalize ng isang komprehensibong Emergency Medical Services System,” Go said.
The senator added that the bill aims to set up a system that would give the government the necessary tools and capabilities to respond to medical emergencies encountered by Filipino families nationwide.
“Ito ang magsisiguro na merong sapat na mga personahe, pasilidad, kagamitan at transportasyon na magagamit para sa epektibo, organisado at agarang paghahatid ng mga health and safety services para sa mga biktima o may sakit na kailangang masaklolohan kaagad,” he added.
Under the proposed measure, all local government units are mandated to establish an emergency medical service system for their area 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 which will be fully integrated and connected to the National Command Center. The dispatch centers will link Filipinos with the available emergency resources of the government.
When implemented at a nationwide level, Go’s bill provides that the public will just have to dial a dedicated hotline number and the responder will be able to attend to the emergency situation. The measure also mandates the creation of a 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 the Interior and Local Government as Chairperson and the Secretary of the Department of Health as Co-Chairperson.
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 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 proposed measure.
It will also monitor compliance by all LGUs and government and private health facilities to 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 concerned agencies and local government units.
Healthcare access has been one of the priority concerns of Go. The senator was the main proponent of the Malasakit Centers program and the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, earning him the moniker of “Father of the Malasakit Centers”. (OSBG)
