IBA, Zambales, Philippines — To further boost its services to the public, the provincial government of Zambales has provided new fully equipped ambulances, modern hospital equipments and as well as the improvement of the government-owned hospital facilities in province.

Zambales Gov. Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr. recently turned over the brand-new and fully-equipped ambulances to the three government hospitals in this province to provide better medical services to residents of Zambales.

Under Ebdane’s medical system modernization program, he said the ambulances, worth more than P4 million, were procured at no cost to Zambales provincial government as the funds used in the purchase and outfitting were donated by private individuals.

“This is part of our dream for a fully-subsidized health care service in Zambales,” the governor said during the turnover ceremony at the Capitol.

“We would like to bring medical services to the people, instead of the people going after the medical services that they need,” Ebdane said.

The new ambulance fleet is composed of three brand-new units of Toyota Hi-Ace Commuter that cost P1.2 million each without the outfitting necessary for their conversion into emergency vehicles. These are now equipped with stretchers, oxygen tank mounts, and basic medical apparatus.

Ebdane turned over the ambulances to the directors of the Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Hospital, which is the provincial hospital in Iba capital town, and the district hospitals in the municipalities of Candelaria and San Marcelino.

He said that the new vehicles would be used on top of the existing units that were assigned to the three government hospitals here.

Meanwhile, a secondhand Volkswagen ambulance from Germany, which Ebdane also received as a donation from a private firm, will be on standby at the Provincial Engineer’s Office so that the provincial government would also be able to dispatch a medical unit in time of emergencies.

Zambales board member Sancho Abasta Jr., who heads the health committee at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, said the new ambulances would reverse the previous situation here when provincial emergency vehicles were in such a sorry state that they sometimes conk out while bringing patients to the hospital.

“We are really proud of our governor who made possible these vehicle donations that would boost the delivery of health services in the province without added cost to the government,” Abasta added.

Under the administration’s thrust to establish a broader and more effective health service system in the province, Ebdane also signed an agreement last September for the provision of modern medical equipment for computed tomography (CT) scan, ultrasound imaging, and X-ray at the Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Hospital.