As the country faces looming threats of natural disasters
ANGARA BATS FOR EFFECTIVE EMERGENCY MEDICINE RESPONSE IN RP

With reports of Pepeng slowly moving back to RP's area of responsibility, Senator Edgardo J. Angara today proposed the practice of emergency medicine in the country to effectively respond to urgent medical situations.

"Emergency medicine is the first response to medical disasters, providing urgently-needed medical attention to patients with acute illnesses or injuries. The efficient practice of emergency medicine can save entire communities. The number of lives we save is directly proportional to how ready and well-trained our emergency medicine practitioners are to handle disasters of any scale," said Angara who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance.

The senator, author of landmark health bills including PhilHealth and the Breastfeeding Act, noted that emergency medicine in the country is relatively young and there is a need to develop it in response to new threats to health in a changed world.

He added, "We must work towards creating a mature emergency system that can administer effective emergency medicine to the poorest, most devastated areas."

In 2008, there were 39,061 clinically active emergency physicians in the US, of which 57% were emergency medicine board certified and 69% were emergency medicine trained or emergency medicine board certified. Nearly all (98%) of their emergency physicians who graduated within the past 5 years were emergency medicine trained or emergency medicine board certified.

In the Philippines only 23 are certified emergency physicians from which only 17 are full-time emergency practitioners.

Further, Angara stressed that the country must make strides in developing a high overall level of preparedness against health hazards. He said this requires the help of emergency medicine practitioners who can develop partnerships with local governments and providing necessary training and planning for the administration of emergency medicine.

"The prevention of any threat to the well-being of the public is a continuing challenge. As a nation, we need to be ready to respond immediately and swiftly if and when any individual's life is in danger," said Angara.