Basilan to have sea ambulance

COTABATO CITY --- Basilan will soon have its own sea ambulance, courtesy of  three assemblymen coming from the province’s lone district --- Ahmad Ali S. Ismael, RonieA. Hantian, and Haber A. Asarul.

Known as the IHA (Ismael, Hantian, and Asarul), the trio is bound to extend Immediate Humanitarian Assistance to patients needing emergency medical attention.

Ismael said the customized sea ambulance isintended for emergency purposes  catering to the residents of Basilan,most especially those residing in island- municipalities and island-barangays.

“The sea ambulance can run at approximately 20 to 25 minutes from Basilan to Zamboanga City. Usually, we cross the sea within an hour. We will also hire staff to manage the patients when moving for Zamboanga City,” Ismael said.

In addition, Ismael said they will provide first aid facility and comfortable bed.

“We would ensure the safety of the ambulance which has the capacityto load at least 10 patients,” he said.

Ismael said that at present, the creation of the sea ambulance, which is made of wood, is still ongoing since they could not find a ready-made one.

“We need to manufacture since it is customized. After that, we will accessorize and groom the sea ambulance,” Ismael said.

Ismael said that their main purpose is simple. “Typically we reside in an island and as of now we don’t have competitive hospitals. There are some medical services which our hospitals could not extend to the patients. In this manner, we will be able to transport them from Basilan to Zamboanga City,” he said.

The project has a budget of P500,000.

“It’s going to be a banca type but withoutkatig, so it would be easy for the sea ambulance to dock,” he said. (GILMHAR A. LAO & ANNE ACOSTA– MINDANAO EXPOSE’)