President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday announced his approval of a PhP2.2 billion budget this year for the purchase of 1,000 ambulances to be distributed nationwide.
“It (purchase of ambulances) is part of the bigger picture where we are upscaling the preparedness and response to calamities and disasters at both the local and at the national level,” President Marcos said during the turnover of 51 ambulances or patient transport vehicles (PTVs) to local government units (LGUs) and state-run hospitals in Western Visayas region.
The President vowed to continue investing in the healthcare needs of Filipinos.
“We hope, one day, that every town and city — let me change that. We do not hope one day. We promise, one day, every town and city will be equipped with fully operational PTVs and medical responders on standby,” the President said during the turnover ceremonies held in Passi City, Iloilo on Thursday.
As the administration prioritizes the welfare of Filipinos, President Marcos assured that the government will continue investing in healthcare, not only in the form of medical facilities and assets, but also in the capacity-building of medical professionals.
The state-of-the-art and reliable PTVs are being handed over to LGUs and hospitals through the Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program (MTVDP) of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
Each of the PTVs, equipped with a stretcher, oxygen tank, and blood pressure monitor, will provide timely and safe transportation of patients.
Since July 2022, over 416 PTVs have been distributed to LGU beneficiaries from all regions except the National Capital Region (NCR).
The MTVDP, launched in 2019, aims to improve healthcare delivery in underserved areas by donating medical transport vehicles to LGUs at the provincial, city, and municipal levels, with priority given to vulnerable communities and geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA).
The program also covers government hospitals to ensure the timely and safe transportation of patients to and from medical facilities. PND
