DOH-MIMAROPA launches Air Ambulance to serve 24/7

by Philippine Information Agency 

The Department of Health – MIMAROPA (Oriental/Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) on Wednesday formally launched its air ambulance to provide transport of patients from the scene of emergency to the nearest healthcare facility.

Air ambulance. Leila Llemos Bingco Dagot

“This is the most effective and quickest response in saving a patient’s life, especially those who reside in remote and hard to reach areas. Critical patients and emergency cases needing immediate care can be transported right away to the nearest health facility without difficulty”, DOH MIMAROPA Director Eduardo C. Janairo said during the launching ceremony held at the Puerto Princesa City Airport in Palawan.

Janairo said that since most of the places in MIMAROPA were not accessible via regular ambulance services due to its geographically situated island provinces.

Some of these areas are remotely located and can’t be reached quickly by health workers, medical personnel and regular ambulance services.

Given those situations, he said that sometimes to increase the survival rate or deliver the immediate medical attention, patients should undergo air transport through the “air ambulance”.

The air ambulance will be provided by the Philippine Adventist Medical Aviation Services, Inc. (PAMAS) through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with DOH-MIMAROPA with the objective of transporting patients by air from an area with limited medical facility to an area where more adequate medical care is available.

It is equipped with first aid medical equipment and manned by a paramedic to provide immediate care.

PAMAS is a faith-based, volunteer-driven organization that spreads the Gospel to the Philippines through the use of an aviation and medical ministry. PAMAS is a non-stock, non-profit, SEC registered Corporation in the Philippines.

Two aircrafts will serve as air ambulance to cater patients namely, a Cessna 206 (six-seater) and a Robinson R44 Helicopter (4 seater).

“It can accommodate non-ambulatory and ambulatory patients. “If needed, transport of patients from MIMAROPA provinces will be transported to DOH tertiary hospitals in Metro Manila which will take approximately 1 ½ hour or less. The air ambulance service will cater to indigent patients and indigenous communities” he added.

He added that one of the advantage of an air transport is it can provide a higher level of care from the scene of trauma to community hospitals.

Marinduque Vice-Governor Romulo Bacorro, Jr. in talks with  DOH - RD Dr. Eduardo Janairo, Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro and PSSUPT. Lorenzo J. Holanday in connection with the MIMAROPA air ambulance. 

There will be Off-site Landing Zones (LZ) in every province designated for emergency medical evacuation for identified hospitals. Ground ambulance transfer to and from the LZ from the originating hospital to the destination tertiary hospitals will be duly coordinated as well.

A 24/7 emergency unit will be established in every DOH provincial office. For Palawan, emergency numbers that can be contacted are (0998) 5492585 for Smart and (0917) 533-1651 for Globe.

“Slowly and surely we will be providing the essential and necessary equipment and medical services to the heart of the Philippines – that is MIMAROPA. These are the health needs of the people and we will not fail the more than three million citizens who are constantly anticipating for progress and development in their health care delivery system.” Janairo concluded.