City to buy heavy duty ambulance

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas R. Osmeña has given the go signal for the purchase of a refurbished Ford E-350 ambulance to respond to emergency calls from the mountain barangays after having obtained the support from the city council.

 The P2,015,200 worth US made ambulance will be placed under the care of barangay captain Dave Tumulak of Basak-Pardo as soon as the Cebu Medical Supply Incorporated, the lone distributor in Cebu City, will deliver the unit.

The ambulance will be assigned to Tumulak because he is supervising the operation of the Emergency Rescue Unit of his own barangay which cater to patients not only from Basak-Pardo but from other barangays as well.

Osmeña said that the Ford E-350 is practically much cheaper in its price than the other model of ambulance.

The Ford E-350 ambulance is a van-type four-wheeled vehicle powered with V-8 stroke diesel-feed engine and 7.3 liter motor displacement with a dual alternator to accommodate more emergency flashing lights.

In his campaign sorties in the mountain barangays in the south district where he is a candidate for congressman, Osmeña announced that the city will purchase a heavy duty ambulance which will be assigned to respond emergency calls from the mountain barangays.

Aside from the usual equipment, the ambulance has a pulse oximeter, Nellcor handheld pulse, portable ventilator impact model 750, ferno extrication device, scope emergency stretcher, folding stair chair and an impact AC/DC portable suction machine.

Councilor Augustus Pe Jr., who facilitated the documentation of the transaction, said the purchase is covered with a warranty period of one year. Osmeña verbally approved the transaction, saying “the vehicle has the desired specifications for our purpose.”

Tumulak said in terms of medical equipment, the Ford E-350 ambulance is highly equipped and has the almost complete facilities that can attend to urgent first aid needs of the patients.

“The unit itself can be considered as mobile intensive care unit for its complete and well organized equipment to be used during medical responses on patients. Ford E-350 ambulance has its finest and most unique physical feature. It has sirens and strobe blinkers on sides, fenders and emergency light bar plus strobe lights on front grill and rear top body which other ambulances do not have,” the barangay captain said. — THE FREEMAN