Ormoc acquires heavy duty ambulance

ORMOC CITY, Leyte, June 22 (PNA) -– The city government here proves again it has the best and most equipped Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LDRRMO) in Eastern Visayas when it acquired a custom-built heavy duty ambulance for tough road and environmental conditions.

Worth almost PHP2 million, the ambulance has military specification body frame. Its wide body allows the driver, nurse, three rescue personnel, the patient and a companion to fit in. The customized high ceiling provides the medical team enough room to treat the patient.

Dominic Eamiguel, LDRRM officer for administration and training, said the acquisition of the ambulance is part of their 24/7 emergency response to rural villages, considering that most of the medical emergencies they respond to late at night are obstetric-related.

Many of the patients they respond come from far-flung areas. In some cases, the crew had to walk almost a kilometer on rough roads that cannot be penetrated by an ordinary ambulance. There was also a time when the rescue unit necessitated a rescue operation after the ambulance got stuck in the mud.

The 4x4 reconditioned ambulance comes with off-road tires and power steering to enable it to drive through hard-to-reach areas. It can also negotiate through floodwaters with its high ground clearance.

 The all-terrain, four-wheel drive vehicle with turbo charged diesel engine can easily climb Ormoc’s upland villages like Gaas, Manlilinao, Liberty, Cabingtan, etc.

The ambulance is equipped with an oxygen tank, stretcher, spine board, surgical equipment, etc. 

Being multi-functional, it can also be used for other emergencies and rescue operations mainly for transporting people and equipment. Its other amenities are a built-in winch at the front, public address system, VHF base radio and siren.

Despite the vehicle’s muscular features, passengers can expect smooth travel on fine roads thanks to its fully independent, double wishbone suspension system. Being not too big, it is also ideal for use in areas where the Emergency Medical and Technical Rescue Truck cannot go in. (PNA)
FFC/SQM/FELIX N. CODILLA/EGR