Bawat buhay mahalaga: Yamsuan urges establishment of standardized emergency medical response system

Parañaque 2nd District Representative Brian Yamsuan has sought the establishment of a unified and standardized Emergency Medical Services System (EMSS) nationwide to ensure that immediate pre-hospital, life-saving care during times of crises is available in every community.

Yamsuan has filed House Bill (HB) 9474 which aims to institutionalize the EMSS by putting in place clear national standards for emergency protocols and operations, and mandating the continuing training and professionalization of medical first responders.

“A well-functioning, coordinated emergency medical services system ang siyang maaring maging susi para maka-survive at maka-recover ang isang pasyente bago ito madala sa ospital (may be the key to a patient’s survival and recovery before being brought to the hospital),” Yamsuan said.

“It could spell the difference between life and death for people in critical situations,” he added.

Yamsuan said a robust, comprehensive EMSS is indispensable to a disaster-prone country like the Philippines because this system serves as the first line of defense during natural calamities, mass casualty events and epidemics.

Victims of accidents and patients with medical emergencies likewise deserve immediate, quality pre-hospital intervention as the EMSS serves as their critical first link to definitive medical care, he said.

“During these times of crises, survival is determined not only by the sophistication of the medical equipment, but by how quickly and effectively help arrives before reaching the hospital. As important as it is for our government to invest in better hospitals, medicines and medical technology, even more critical is ensuring a system is in place to connect people to these services when they need them the most,” said Yamsuan whose legislative priorities include making quality healthcare accessible and affordable to every Filipino.

“Bawat buhay ay mahalaga. Sa anumang krisis, dapat ay pantay-pantay ang paghahatid ng emergency services sa mga nangangailangan, anuman ang estado niya sa buhay (Every life matters. In any crisis, the delivery of emergency services should be equal for all those in need, regardless of one’s status in life),” he added.

Under Yamsuan’s proposed measure, a national EMSS Council will be created under the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to formulate national standards and protocols on emergency medical response that shall be followed by all emergency personnel.

To be chaired by the Secretary of the DILG and co-chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH), the Council is also tasked with ensuring the establishment of a system of networking and coordination among all existing government health agencies, local government units (LGUs) and private and non-government medical institutions.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) shall serve as the Secretariat of the Council.

Yamsuan said he filed HB 9474 to address the problem of fragmented, uneven quality of care provided by emergency response systems in the country. Different LGUs operate varying standards for emergency protocols, ambulance services, dispatch systems and personnel training, with many areas still inadequately equipped, emergency hotlines unavailable or poorly coordinated, he noted.

A unified national emergency hotline 911 shall be adopted under the bill to simplify and ease access to emergency assistance.

HB 9474 also provides for the creation of plantilla positions for emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in government hospitals and health facilities, including those under LGUs. The Council shall submit proposed qualification standards to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for the plantilla positions of EMS personnel, who are required to undergo training and continuing education through the DOH and accredited institutions.

The bill also sets minimum requirements for ambulances and other emergency medical vehicles to ensure that these are adequately designed and equipped for crisis response.

All LGUs are mandated to develop and institutionalize their respective EMSS, ensure the availability of sufficient emergency transport vehicles with qualified EMS personnel and set up dispatch centers for all cases of emergencies.

While the bill provides that the amount needed to implement the EMSS should come from the General Appropriations Act, an EMSS fund will also be established to augment the budget for EMSS operations of LGUs, particularly for geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) and the Council’s administrative functions. Sources of the EMSS Fund may be sourced from fees, donations and grants, and subject to regulations by the Commission on Audit (COA).