Lingayen- – -The present administration’s lofty goal in making Pangasinan as the home of healthiest Filipinos got another boost with the completion of its ambulance network upgrade for all the 14 provincial government-operated hospitals.
From only one rickety ambulance unit per community hospital in 2007, community hospitals now have an average of three ambulances while the district hospitals have four each.
“This is just one of the projects of the whole health thrust package envisioned by Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. to provide quality health care to Pangasinenses,” said Dr. Anna Maria Teresa De Guzman, Provincial Health Office chief, as she disclosed that even with only one unit per hospital, these ambulances of the 14 hospitals in the previous administration were not capable to transport patients outside Pangasinan during emergency cases.
While the buildings of the 14 hospitals were being renovated during the first term of Governor Espino, the ambulance units were also upgraded, Dr. De Guzman said noting that the old units were reconditioned in 2008, while the first set of 14 brand new ambulance were purchased in 2009 through the 60-40 scheme with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and a donation of another brand new unit from the European Commission was made in 2010.
In his third and last term as the provincial chief executive, Gov. Espino has facilitated the purchase of another set of 14 brand new ambulances.
An initial distribution of six ambulances took place last January 18 with the following hospitals as recipients: Western Pangasinan District Hospital (WPDH), Bayambang District Hospital (BDH), Lingayen District Hospital (LDH), Bolinao Community Hospital (BCH) and Pozorrubio Community Hospital (PCH) and Dasol Community Hospital (DCH).
On February 1, the second batch of eight brand new Toyota Hi Ace GL Grandia ambulances, on the other hand, were turned-over to the remaining eight provincial government-operated hospitals to include the following: Pangasinan Provincial Hospital, Eastern Pangasinan District Hospital, Urdaneta District Hospital, Mangatarem District Hospital, Mapandan Community Hospital, Manaoag Community Hospital, Asingan Community Hospital and Umingan Community Hospital.
“This is a big achievement for the present administration’s goal to provide quality and affordable health care services for the sick and poor Pangasinenses,” Dr. De Guzman said as she added that the option for a better brand of ambulance is due to several factors such as durability, capacity size, comfort and easier maintenance.
On previous interview, the PHO chief stressed that with the newly-purchased ambulances, the provincial government plans to install each unit of various medical equipment such as cardiac monitors which are more convenient considering the size of the new ambulances.
The ambulances, De Guzman said, can be utilized for free in transporting patients within the province. Patients that needs to be transported outside the province are requested to shoulder the gasoline expenses except for special cases like if the government-operated hospital cannot handle the case because it doesn’t have the necessary equipment and needs immediate transfer to private facilities and several others.
Earlier, Provincial Accountant Arturo Soriano disclosed that around P13 million were allocated for the purchase of the first six ambulances while the second batch of eight units of the same brand have amounted to about P17.6 million.
Joining the Governor in awarding the second batch of ambulances were Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Z. Calimlim, Jr., Board Member and Liga ng mga Barangay president Amado “Pogi” I. Espino III, and Board Member Danilo Uy.
Rev. Fr. Dexter Carino, Director of St. Columban’s College, officiated the blessing of the vehicles. (Ruby R. Bernardino)