THE HOSPITAL ON WHEELS AND THE MOTORCYCLE CHARIOT AMBULANCES
THE HOSPITAL
ON WHEELS AND THE MOTORCYCLE CHARIOT AMBULANCES
Dear Mr. President: The
"Hospital on Wheels" (HOW) and the "Motorcycle Chariot Ambulances"
(MCA) projects are indeed groundbreaking and highly impactful in addressing
healthcare accessibility challenges. In essence, HOW brings healthcare services
directly to the people, eliminating the need for individuals to travel to the hospitals.
Their mission includes providing medical, surgical, dental, and optical
services. They specifically target communities where healthcare services are
inadequate and are greatly needed. During each HOW mission, they serve an
average of 1,000 to 1,500 patients per day, with the following breakdown: -
Medical cases: 400 per day - Surgical cases: 100 to 120 per day - Dental cases:
300 per day - Vision screening (including the provision of free reading
glasses): 400 per day - Basic Life Support Training: 10–20 barangay
staff/volunteers. HOW highlights its tremendous potential in providing
essential medical services to underserved communities. By offering medical,
surgical, dental, and optical care directly to those who need it most, HOW
eliminates many of the traditional barriers to healthcare. The surgical
component is especially impressive, as it addresses a critical need in
municipalities where surgical services are unavailable. Performing major
surgeries safely without the need for general anesthesia and allowing patients
to go home on the same day, is a cost-effective and innovative approach. The
inclusion of medical, dental, and vision services, along with life support
training, enhances the comprehensive nature of these missions. These types of
mobile medical units are a game-changer for public health, particularly in
remote or underserved regions. Combining this with the MCA for rapid emergency
response in congested areas or rough terrains further demonstrates the holistic
thinking behind these projects. Together, they represent a powerful step towards
equitable healthcare access in the country. Since its launch on September 17,
2007, in Quezon City, the HOW has conducted 411 missions across the country,
mostly in Luzon, and has operated on more than 40,000 indigent patients with
various surgical conditions. They conduct these missions on the weekends, 1 to 3 times a month, with an average of 2 missions per month.
I personally know Dr.
Jim Sanchez, the founder of both HOW and MCA. I have personally gone inside
their “hospital bus”, which I think is an incredible invention in itself. Sanchez
raises most of the funding himself, soliciting these from his friends and
classmates from here and abroad. I believe that his wish is to have more of
these wonderful buses and motorcycles, complete with the equipment inside of
course, so that they could go to more places and help more patients.
Mr. President, the good doctor
said that they have already conducted missions in Visayas and Mindanao, because
the buses can be loaded on RORO vessels. If there are companies out there that
are looking for an automatic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, I
recommend that they donate their money to HOW. Find them in Facebook. IKE
SENERES/09-18-24
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