Antique’s Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) on Thursday received 12 ambulances from the Department of Health in Western Visayas to be given to six Rural Health Units (RHUs) and six district hospitals.

Dr. Ric Noel Naciongayo, IPHO chief, said in an interview that Antique Governor Rhodora J. Cadiao led the turnover of the ambulances in a ceremony held at the capitol.

The vehicles were acquired through the DOH Regional Office 6 Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP) and “each of the ambulances costs more than PHP1 million,” he said.

Recipients of the ambulances were the RHUs of Anini-y, Hamtic, Patnongon, Valderrama, San Jose de Buenavista, and San Remigio while the district hospitals are in Bugasong, Pandan, Barbaza, Tobias Fornier, Sebaste, and Valderrama.

Naciongayo added that with the new ambulances the RHUs and hospitals would be able to transport their referred patients to higher-level health facilities comfortably and safer.

The vehicles are needed as some of those being used in the province are old while other hospitals only own one ambulance thus during emergencies health workers have difficulty in immediately transporting their patients referred to other healthcare facilities.

“With the new ambulance, the hospitals could now provide appropriate and efficient care to their patients,” he said. (PNA)