Integrated Clinical Clerkship in Emergency Medicine AY 2021- 2022

Optimizing pre-hospital care should be one of our top goals for this country. At the barrios, it is important to have a competent person who could identify and evaluate the problems, and have the initiative to make a difference. The documentary reminded me of my immersion in Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte; just like Bansud, there is difficulty in transporting patients there. Sirawai is lucky to have the option of land travel, unlike Bansud patients who have to be transported by foot. In Sirawai, if patients are transported via land, it would take them 6 hours to arrive at the closest hospital in Zamboanga city; sadly, they do not have any working ambulance and have to rely on knowing people who have private vehicles. The travel time could be shortened if transported via boat but then, even the fishermen in the area don’t have enough bangkas. Very much like the documentary, Sirawai lacks medical personnel. They have one DTTB now, but for some time before they had to struggle for 5 years without a doctor in the barrio. When I spoke to the doctor, he said he could function properly due to the lack of drugs, and equipment. He stressed out that they have no med techs which makes diagnosing difficult. Watching the documentary made me remember the reality I saw during my immersion. Most patients in the barrios die without a fighting chance and I have nothing else to blame but the incompetent health care system we have.