(Eagle News)–Senator Bong Go has filed a bill that aims to institutionalize a 24-hour nationwide emergency medical services system.
Under Senate Bill 394 or the Emergency Medical Services System (EMSS) Act of 2019, all local government units are mandated to establish an emergency medical service system for their area of jurisdiction and dispatch centers which their constituents can call in cases of emergencies.
The LGUs, the bill said, shall also ensure there is an adequate number of emergency transport vehicles or ambulances with qualified EMS personnel.
A National Command Center, which can be accessed through a nationwide emergency hotline number, will in turn link all dispatch centers under the law.
“Meron na tayong Emergency 911 hotline na itinatag ni Pangulong Duterte. Mas palakasin pa natin ito sa pamamagitan ng pag-institutionalize ng isang komprehensibo na Emergency Medical Services System,” Go said.
Under the proposed law, an EMSS Council shall also be established with the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government as chair and the Secretary of the Department of Health as co-chair.
The heads of the Departments of Transportation and Information and Communications Technology, the Office of Civil Defense, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the Commission on Higher Education and the Philippine Red Cross, and Philhealth are also members of the council, which is responsible for promoting and crafting a national policy and system of emergency medical response.
The council shall also develop national standards for the provision of emergency medical services such as the skills and competencies required for EMS personnel.
“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,” Go said.
