Ordinance to strengthen hospital’s emergency medical services enacted
NAGA CITY --- The Naga City Hospital (NCH) here does not only require additional structural upgrading, state-of-the-art equipment and apparatuses, and professionals. It also needs a standard system to be able to improve further its emergency medical services.
That was given emphasis in Ordinance No. 2019-060, which outlines the hospital’s needed standard system on emergency medical services from mobility, equipment and support services, alert emergency responders and ambulance crews who possess the necessary knowledge and skills to respond and to properly assess and manage various medical emergencies.
The measure mandates the creation of the Naga City Emergency Medical Management Services (EMMS) Unit under the Naga City Hospital, which also calls for the creation of plantilla positions such as EMMS Medical Unit Chief, SG 11; Emergency Medical Technicians, SG 8; Ambulance Dispatch Officers, SG 6; Ambulance Assistants; SG 2; and Ambulance Drivers; SG 2.
City Councilor Joselito S.A. Del Rosario, author of the ordinance, said that prompt emergency medical services are vital in assuring the patients of getting better chance of survival from disability or death.
Data from the World Health Organization in 2007 show that about 7,000 Filipinos die each year and thousands more are injured or disabled due to road accidents, with riders of motorcycles and bicycles making up the larger part of the statistics.
Most emergency calls received by an ambulance team are trauma-related e.g. vehicular accidents, crime or violence-related injuries, or common household emergencies.
“As a local government unit, we are mandated by the 1987 Philippine Constitution to adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development and to make essential goods, health and other social services available to all people at affordable cost,” the councilor said.
Known as the “Emergency Medical Management Services (EMMS) Ordinance of Naga City, the measure also mandates the adoption and use of the Naga City Emergency Hotline, and provides safeguard for its implementation including the establishment of support services to emergency medical services.
Under the ordinance, the NCH shall also serve as the EMMS Dispatch Center where on-duty hospital personnel are on-standby along with their emergency transport vehicles (ETVs) or ambulances ready to provide pre-hospital emergency services 24/7.
The NCH, as head office of EMMS Unit, shall ensure the availability of adequate ambulances with qualified EMS personnel. All the procedures to be undertaken in responding and caring for patients should be in accordance to the prescribed guidelines issued by the appropriate health authorities, the Department of Health, and the Naga City EMMS Advisory Council.
The EMMS Unit shall be provided with emergency vehicles or ambulances equipped with medical and first aid supply that would allow ambulance personnel to perform their functions safely and reliably as basic and advance pre-hospital life support providers. The vehicles should conform to the standards set forth by the DOH.
Under the ordinance’s inter-agency referral and transport provision, the EMMS Advisory Council shall consult and coordinate with national and local institutions including officials responsible for the delivery of emergency medical services, hospital emergency and trauma
care personnel (including emergency physicians, trauma surgeons, and nurses) to prescribe protocols/guidelines on inter-agency referral and transport.
Command and Control – The Central Communications Center (COMCEN) of the City Government of Naga, shall serve as the central command center, where the constituents can call for all cases of medical emergencies. COMCEN shall immediately communicate to the EMMS Dispatch Center for the ambulance dispatch. EMMS Advisory Council shall develop and prescribe operational guidelines on dispatch protocols, which shall follow the international practices on medical dispatch protocols and guidelines set by the Department of Health.
An inter-agency protocol to guide the inter-medical facility transfer of patients shall be set being an important aspect of LGU Naga’s medical assistance.
The composition of the Naga City EMMS Advisory Council: The city mayor as chairman, the chairperson of SP Committee on Public Safety as co-chairman, and the chairman of SP Committee on Health, the City Health Officer, the chief of the Naga City Hospital, the Public Safety Officer and the City DRRM officer as members along with the representatives of the Naga City Central Fire Station, Bicol Medical Center-Health Emergency Management Bureau, the Philippine Red Cross and private hospitals.
WATCH YOUR HEALTH. Around 500 Nagueños availed of the basic executive laboratory check-up being offered with generous discounts by Alviar Biomedical Laboratory. This year’s humanitarian service, now on its 16th, was conducted last August 24 at the Naga City People’s Mall in partnership with Rotary Club of Naga-Camarines Sur headed by Benedict C. Briones, president. Rotarian Sonny Rañola, M.D. has been working with the Manila-based company to realize the yearly conduct of diagnostic tests for ECG, blood sugar, total cholesterol, BUN (kidney diseases), uric acid, SGPT (hepatitis/live disease), CBC (includes 4 tests for anemia leukemia, urinalysis (UTI/kidney disease). All tests cost P280 only. Haircut, massage, and nail-care services were also offered free of charge by Londoner Saloon. JBN/CEPPIO