New ambulances of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office must serve the people in home quarantine and remote urban areas, Senior Citizen party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes said on Sunday.
“I ask the PCSO to streamline its medicine donation program and medical transport vehicle donation program and pro-actively deliver COVID medicines and ambulances, instead of PCSO waiting for donation requests,” he said.
Since the local government units are too busy grappling with COVID in their communities, PCSO should unload its stockpile of medicines and new ambulances swiftly, he said.
“The PCSO ambulances, for example, can be used to transport the medicines and supplies. The ambulances can be staffed with personnel to administer the COVID tests during scheduled visits to barangays and sitios,” Ordanes said.
“The new PCSO ambulances are necessary, especially for remote barangays far from the center of their towns or cities. This is another reason new ambulances are needed. Older ambulances now with the LGUs are busy transporting patients to hospitals,” he said.
“I also ask the Department of Health, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the PCSO to boost LGU supplies of COVID testing kits, medicines, and supplies,” he added.