MARAWI CITY (PIA) — Residents in six towns of Lanao del Sur can now access emergency medical care more quickly through the new patient transport vehicles provided by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
The official turnover ceremony took place on April 22 in Cagayan de Oro City and was led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., to improve response times and facilitate access to health services during emergencies.
Dr. Rasmia Lawi of the Piagapo Rural Health Unit (RHU) said the transport vehicle supports timely emergency medical response and extends the RHU’s capacity to reach barangays, including those in geographically isolated areas.
“It can help the RHU staff in reaching every barangay outreach program most especially to remote areas or underserved areas that previously struggled to access health services,” she said.
According to her, the vehicle will also support quicker transfers of patients who need to be referred to provincial or regional facilities and may encourage residents to seek health services more regularly.
“Our RHU is a 24/7 birthing facility, thus a new transport vehicle can be very crucial for pregnant women and children who may need a referral to higher facilities,” she added.
The Piagapo RHU, which operates around the clock, is expected to use the vehicle primarily for maternal and child health referrals.
Other municipalities that received medical transport vehicles include Balabagan, Marantao, Picong, Saguiaran, and Wao.
The vehicles were distributed through the PCSO’s Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program (MTVDP), which aims to provide local government units and government institutions with transportation to bring patients to treatment centers. The program also supports ongoing efforts to enhance the delivery of health services nationwide. (APB/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)
