Pre-hospital care is an essential first touch-point to the health care system because it improves access to services and provides patients with immediate, life-sustaining interventions (i.e., resuscitation, transportation) prior to receiving definitive management for their condition in a hospital. Hence, such emergency medical services can greatly improve outcomes of injuries and other time-sensitive conditions (i.e., acute diseases or acute exacerbations of chronic disease).
In the Philippines, a lot of geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas do not have access to basic health care services, including pre-hospital care. The documentary, “Ambulansiyang de Paa” highlights this inequity. It shows how residents of far-flung sitios in Mindoro Oriental face numerous barriers because of their area’s lack of resources to build infrastructures that would improve access to health care services. Residents resort to carrying patients on make-shift hammocks and trekking for hours over difficult terrain in order to reach the nearest local health center where their needs may or may not be met due to the lack of resources.
Despite the necessity of pre-hospital care in managing life-threatening conditions, our fragmented health care system, coupled with blatant corruption, prevents patients from receiving immediate and continuous health care due to the lack of infrastructure and transportation services, universal protocols for field triaging, and communication to receiving facilities. Therefore, it is important that we advocate for the implementation of primary health care which aims to improve health access for all. Moreover, the primary health care approach also integrates and strengthens pre-hospital care and referral systems to improve health outcomes, and give priority to those who are most in need.