The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) emergency medical services (EMS) assisted 559 motorcycle riders who figured in accidents across the country this year, PRC data as of July 5, 2022 show. Eighteen percent of the incidents, or 98, happened in Metro Manila. 437 patients were transported to medical facilities and 110 were treated by PRC emergency medical technicians.
The safety of motorcycle riders is one of the advocacies of the PRC, under the leadership of its chairman and CEO, Richard J. Gordon. He reminds motorcycle riders to take extra care on the road, especially during the rainy season.
For the first semester of 2022, PRC’s EMS responded to 4,150 incidents involving 8,759 patients. 2,234 of these patients needed transport provided by PRC ambulances. 75% or 1,646 availed of the ambulance service for free.
The PRC has a total of 178 ambulance units in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. “Ang Red Cross ay laging nakatuon sa pag-modernize ng EMS para makapagsilbi sa ating mga kababayan sa kanilang medical emergency,” Chairman Gordon said.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) formally unveiled two new ambulance units from the Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) to further equip the organization’s emergency response efforts.
This brings the total number of ambulance units donated by SBFI over the past three years to five.
Chairman Richard Gordon, who led the turnover ceremony on Wednesday, said the additional ambulance units empower the Red Cross to assist more people affected by emergencies, such as fire incidents, vehicular crashes, medical emergencies, and disasters.
“As the preferred humanitarian partner, we assure SBFI that their support will reach the most vulnerable communities. This is a truly noble cause to help our countrymen in need of emergency medical services,” Gordon said as he expressed gratitude to SBFI Chairman Rafael Simpao, Jr. for consistently fueling the organization’s humanitarian drives.
The Red Cross has saved 1,889 people using the SBFI ambulances, including 674 people involved in road crash incidents and medical emergencies.
PRC, through its fleet of 154 ambulances, has rescued 46,451 individuals for 2019 alone.
Present during the turnover ceremony were PRC Secretary General Elizabeth Zavalla, Assistant Secretary General Ramon Murillo, Blood Services Director Dr. Christie Monina Nalupta, Safety Services Acting Manager Von Ryan Ong, and SBFI Vice President Melissa Aquino.
