Integrated Clinical Clerkship in Emergency Medicine AY 2021- 2022

Emergencies are abundant in developing countries like the Philippines where logistical and financial barriers hinder people from seeking preventive care and early consultations. This should be an impetus for us to have a well-organized and well-prepared emergency care system. However, as can be seen from the Ambulansya de Paa, we still have a long way to go. Instead of riding an ambulance or a chopper with medical equipment and professional paramedics trained to perform life-saving interventions, we have severely ill Filipinos relying on generous volunteers to transport them using a hammock slung from a bamboo pole through rough terrains for 4-8 hours. In the slight chance that they make it to a health facility alive, sometimes, there is no doctor or the center lacks the expertise, equipment or drugs needed to address their condition. In the documentary, we can also see how the lack of education hinders ordinary Filipinos from recognizing the severity of their illness and performing first-aid to prevent its escalation. They also have fears about medical procedures and the catastrophic costs associated with them that make them hesitate to receive care. When asked about their plans for their constituents in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, local government officials in the documentary would answer that they can only do so much with the budget they have. This illustrates the failure of the national government to provide financial and technical assistance where it is very much required. To think of it, putting priority on our emergency care systems would indeed be a cost-effective way to solve a lot of problems. If our national government would stay true to the WHO ECSA framework, Filipinos would receive timely interventions and be safely transported in the most appropriate facilities for them.