BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan issued Administrative Order (AO) No. 46, series of 2018 authorizing the City Treasury Office to collect fees for the transport of patients and for medical standbys.
The local chief executive stated to effectively and efficiently regulate the use of the ambulance, there is a need to collect reasonable fees from requesting parties to defray maintenance of the vehicles and other incidental expenses.
He added requesting parties are mandated to pay the prescribed fees to the City Treasury Office before the use of the ambulance or for medical standbys.
Under the order, the prescribed fees for medical transport are P500 for one-way trip in Baguio City and P75 per kilometer for every trip outside Baguio City.
For medical standbys, the fees that will be collected by the City Treasury Office include P150 per hour per individual personnel assigned by the Baguio City Emergency Medical Services, Bureau of Fire Protection and City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC); P750 per personnel for medical standby not exceeding 4 hours and additional P150 per hour per personnel beyond 4 hours and P1,500 per personnel for medical standby for 8 hours.
Currently, the City Government of Baguio maintains ambulances under the offices of the City Health Services, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and the Office for Administration.
Based on the order, the City Health Services Office, BFP and CDRRMC shall issue a payment or charge slip to the requesting party indicating the amount to be paid to the City Treasury Office for the use of the BC-EMS ambulance for medical transport and medical standbys; record all official receipts issued by the City Treasury Office before the conduct of medical transport services and medical standbys pursuant to existing accounting and auditing rules and regulations and prepare the necessary documents (special order or travel authority) for the conduct of medical transport and medical standbys by the BC-EMS ambulance.
Domogan reports the ambulance is frequently used for emergency purposes and transport patient for medical needs in different health facilities not only in the city but also in the different parts of Northern and Central Luzon and even Metro Manila and the BC-EMS as the medical arm of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) also conducts medical standbys from requesting government and non-government agencies as well as the public.
He claimed payments collected by the City Treasury Office shall be placed under the city’s General Trust Liability Fund for the maintenance of the ambulance used for medical purposes and medical standbys and for other incidental expenses.
Previously, the amount being paid by requesting parties for the use of ambulances for medical transport and medical standbys are used to pay the compensation of volunteer health workers who assist requesting parties in transporting patients to different health facilities.
However, Domogan explained that now that the health workers were placed under job order status, it is but proper that the funds generated from the use of ambulances will accrue to the coffers of the local government to be used for the maintenance of the vehicles being used for emergency purposes.
By Dexter A. See
