DEAR Mr. President:
Going to private dialysis centers is not a problem for rich people because in most cases, they would probably have their own private vehicles. Either that, or the rich people could afford to take a taxi or use one of those ride hailing apps that could cost an arm or a leg.
In other words, the poor people are forced to take public transportation, and depending on where they are coming from, they may have to take several rides before they could arrive at their chosen dialysis clinics.
Since it is a well-known fact that many of these poor dialysis patients are already weak and old, and it is really a struggle for them to take the bus or take the jeepney, why don’t we think of other ways to make commuting easier for them?
As I recall, when I was a director at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), our board approved many requests for the so-called “patient transport vehicles” or PTVs for short.
Unlike ambulances, PTVs are only for non-emergency transport of patients, but they are often used as ambulances if there is nothing else available. Most of our public utility buses are not equipped to accommodate senior citizens and PWDs.
In the meantime that we could not require those features, we should deploy as many PTVs as possible, hopefully at least one per barangay. Better still, we should issue national standards so that the required features will always be present, regardless of who procures them.
For example, these could be equipped with handlebars and wheelchair ramps. Putting dialysis machines inside dedicated buses is not a new idea, because other countries are already doing it.
As a matter of fact, I will not be surprised if a private company or a local government unit (LGU) is already doing it in the Philippines. I do not think that it requires rocket science to come up with our own local designs.
Even if it does, I am sure that our local engineers will rise to the challenge. I think that the biggest design challenges will be the power supply and the water supply for the bus, but the engineers could handle that too.
“If the mountain won’t come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the mountain”. That is the original expression, but in this case, the mountain could go to Mohammed if we can put dialysis machines into dedicated buses.
I can imagine how difficult it is for patients in the cities to go to their dialysis centers, riding only in jeepneys and buses. However, I could also imagine that it would even be more difficult to do that in the rural areas, where the patients may have to cross seas or traverse mountains just to go to the dialysis centers.
Mr. President, I think that this project, if you will support it, will need the participation of several national government agencies (NGAs) such as the Department of Transportation, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, Land Transportation Office, Department of Science and Technology, and of course the Department of Health.
For funding purposes, perhaps PCSO, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, Department of Interior and Local Government, and Department of Budget and Management could be tapped.
By the way Sir, there is an existing foundation that is already doing this kind of an approach. “Hospital on Wheels”, founded by Dr. Jim Sanchez has been going to remote areas, mostly in poor communities, to perform surgical, medical, dental and optical services for free. Perhaps you could just coordinate with Dr. Sanchez to implement this project?/PN
