THE Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC) will be buying six new ambulances amounting to P9 million this year.
CCDRRMC presiding officer Councilor Dave Tumulak said this is to improve the City Government’s emergency medical service.
“We want to respond to any emergencies just within five minutes,” he said in an interview on Monday.
Based on CCDRRMC’s records, Tumulak said they receive an average of 15 to 20 emergency calls per day. From January to May this year, CCDRRMC catered to a total of 3,099 emergency calls.
The six new ambulances will add to the office’s seven ambulances. The City will have 13 ambulances to serve 80 villages.
The councilor said two out of the six ambulances will arrive on July, while two others will be delivered on August. The remaining two ambulances is yet to be bidded out. Each of the vehicles cost P1.5 million.
Tumulak said CCDRR-MC’s ambulances operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and are free of charge, unlike private hospitals that charge P1,500.
Tumulak said the ambulances will be given a monthly fuel allocation from the General Services Office of at least 200 liters to 500 liters.
The two ambulances of the CCDRRMC that have been denied fuel two weeks ago has already been given supply.
Tumulak said the purchase of the ambulances is charged under the more than P200 million calamity fund of the City this year.
Under Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, the calamity fund, which is five percent of the local government’s projected annual revenue, is used to support disaster risk management activities.
This include, but not limited to, pre-disaster preparedness programs such as training, purchase of life-saving rescue equipment, supplies and medicines, and post-disaster activities among others. (PDF)