By Nanette Guadalquiver
BACOLOD CITY – The Negros Occidental provincial government has deployed 60 newly trained emergency medical technicians (EMTs) as part of efforts to strengthen emergency response services across the province.
The province’s pioneering batch of qualified EMTs, assigned to the Emergency 911 under the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), completed a two-month training course over the weekend.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said the province is safer with the EMTs on the ground as they provide critical out-of-hospital medical care, stabilize patients during emergencies, and ensure their safe transport to medical facilities.
“Start making a difference in the lives of our dear Negrenses in the entire province, especially in critical times,” Diaz said in a Facebook post on Sunday, addressing the new EMTs.
The provincial government tapped Stout Risk Reduction Management Training Services, headed by lead instructor Marc Libo-on, to train and assess the EMTs.
The newly qualified EMTs are trained to provide a range of services crucial to emergency response.
As the first link in the chain of survival, EMTs respond to emergency calls, assess patients’ conditions and perform life-saving interventions, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation and bleeding control.
They also stabilize patients by managing airways, administering oxygen, and monitoring vital signs while ensuring the safe transport of sick or injured individuals to hospitals.
The EMTs will likewise coordinate with firefighters, police and hospital personnel to provide an integrated emergency response during accidents, natural disasters, and medical emergencies.
