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HONORABLE RON P. SALO
KABAYAN Party-list
Assistant Majority Leader
Vice Chair, Basic Education & Culture and Rural Development
Member, Committees on Justice, Appropriations,
and 10 other Committees
 
KABAYAN SOLON PUSHES FOR FAST TRACKING OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES BILL
 
In the wake of Storm Maring which left at least several people dead
 
Rains and floods brought by Storm Maring pose an imminent threat to the lives of senior citizens and anyone who might need emergency aid.
 
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems can provide first aid and pre-hospital care which are crucial in saving victims from disability or death.
 
It now becomes evident that the missing component in the disaster response measures of our country is an EMS System. We will continue to have many casualties unless the national government gives our cities, towns, and barangays the EMS units they need.
 
I urge the House Committee on Health to please calendar and expedite passage of House Bill 4955 that I filed this last February 2017. Its passage takes on urgency now that we are experiencing floods, storms, and landslides of the current rainy season.
 
HB 4955 proposes the creation of a National Emergency Medical Services System for "effective, coordinated, and timely delivery of health and safety services to victims of sudden illness or injury in the pre-hospital setting."
 
The system proposed would have five components and core services: emergency medical dispatch, emergency response and care, emergency transport, inter-agency referral and transport, and command and control.
 
The emphasis of this bill is on pre-hospital emergency services. Many victims of disasters, accidents, and mishap are dead on arrival. Some of them could be saved if only we have effective EMS in place particularly in Local Government units (LGUs) with high-risk disaster zones and at the barangay level.
 
When the bill becomes a law, all LGUs shall be mandated to establish a dispatch center where constituents can call for all cases of emergencies, with qualified personnel. The dispatch centers shall follow the prescribed guidelines on dispatch protocol as determined by the Department of Health and the EMSS council.
 
Also when the bill becomes a law, a single national universal emergency number will be in effect to enable the public to have access to emergency medical services. All LGUs shall ensure availability of emergency transport vehicles with qualified EMS staff.
 
Currently, we already have a 9-1-1 national emergency line; however, it can be scrapped anytime or be replaced by the next administration since there is no law backing it up. House Bill 4955 seeks to have the single national emergency number a basis in law so its implementation can be assured of annual funding. (END)

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