The Dirty Dozen: e-help comes in motorbikes

MANILA, Philippines - Emergency health care comes riding in motorcycles in the interiors of island provinces.

Each helmeted paramedic will ride an “Emergency Motorcycle Ambulance” to provide locals with access to immediate treatments en route to a hospital.

Each motorbike is designed to transport equipment and medical supplies, including oxygen tank, an ECG machine, defibrillator and a state-of-the art CENA 10C communication system with blue tooth capability, intercom, smartphone combined with an HD 1080P resolution action camera and recording.

Two to a province, the Emergency Motorcycle Ambulance will be deployed in remote forested and mountainous areas of Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan, the MIMAROPA provinces.

The bikes come with early warning traffic devices such as a siren, LED flashers and built-in tractor grip tires for rocky roads and slippery muddy highways. The bike is customized for the paramedic rider complete with helmet, jacket, pants, boots, gloves and a backpack containing first aid medicines.

The unique initiative comes from Department of Health (DOH)-MIMAROPA to provide immediate response to emergency situations in the provinces.

They will be the first to do the dirty job, said DOH Metro Manila regional director Eduardo Janairo during graduation rites Sept. 8 for the country’s first group of paramedics.

“The 12 paramedics will be our first line of defense for an injured or stroke person as they will be the primary health care responder to emergency situations, being the first to arrive on the scene,” Janairo said. “They will attend to emergencies including minor injuries, sudden illness and casualties arising from road and rail accidents, criminal violence, fires and other incidents in their place of assignment.”

They will take control and provide immediate care to ensure that the patient makes it to the hospital, he said.

The first batch of paramedics are all registered nurses: Kamille Besa, DOH-Health Emergency Management Bureau; John Amielle Pila, DOH MIMAROPA; Edsel Padilla and Maristella Garing of Oriental Mindoro; Reynaldo Tan Jr. and Jasper Beryl Coching of Romblon; Josephine Morales of Marinduque; Joi Anne Padua of the National Children’s Hospital; Krisanto Idolito Calugay of the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center.

Stacey Marie Bedia from Iloilo, Ernest Serranzana from Bicol and Eric Tagle from California – all registered nurses – will become local trainers who will be based in the school.