Tumulak wants ambulances excluded from fuel reduction

This city-owned gas station provides the fuel for city-owned vehicles. Fuel allocations were ordered cut in half but suspended Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak wants ambulances to be exempted from the fuel reduction. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

Ambulances should be exempted from the 50-percent fuel allocation reduction for all vehicles owned by the Cebu City government.

Suspended Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak urged Acting Cebu City Mayor Margarita Osmeña to exempt ambulances as he expressed concern that emergency operations undertaken by the Disaster Risk Reduction Team and the Quick Response Teams may be drastically affected.

Tumulak, who was chairman of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council said many of the city’s indigents avail of the services of the city ambulances especially when there is no other mode of transportation to the hospital.

He said that a situation arose in the past when City Administrator Lucelle Mercado ordered the reduction of the fuel allocation for city vehicles, when they could not respond to an emergency.

“Di ta gusto nga kung naay manawag moingon lang nga dili ta ka respondi kay way gasolina (We would not want a situation wherein somebody calls for help, we cannot respond because we have no gasoline),” Tumulak said.

He said that the Disaster Risk Reduction Team was able to justify their fuel allocation because ambulances are really needed.

“Once there is a call at the Command Control Center (C3), there is always a paramedic, nurse and emergency service to cater to them and bring them to the nearest hospital for medical care,” he said

He is confident that the ambulances will not consume more than their gasoline allocation as their area of operation is only within the city.

A day is composed of three shifts and each ambulance can respond to at least 10 emergency calls, said Tumulak.

There are 36 ambulances now being used by the city. There are 15 ambulances assigned to the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and 21 barangay ambulances.

Small ambulances used by the EMS are allocated 200 liters of gasoline per month, while the bigger vehicles get 250 liters.

“I know kasabot si Margot (Osmeña) ana in terms of public service, i-grant na niya nga exempted ang ambulances (I know Margot understands that and in terms of public service, she will grant the exemption to the ambulances),” he said.

Tumulak said that the ambulances consume less fuel as most of them are brand-new.

Each ambulance’s run is covered by trip tickets, which contain the patient’s name and contact numbers.

“We should just give these ambulances priority because that’s part of government’s service to the people, and those who have availed of the service are very happy,” he added.

Association of Barangay Council (ABC) president and Tisa Barangay captain Philip Zafra said he understands Osmena’s act of cutting the fuel allocation as she has yet to familiarize herself with the workings of the city and check on the city’s status.

“But the operation of barangays of today is more different than before as more functions, duties and responsibilities are being devolved to us,” he said

Zafra said that the current allocation may be enough for some barangays but others may need more, especially if the barangay is big and far from the city proper.

“Let’s give her the free will, after all she’s the acting mayor. And of course she will be responsible for it,” he said.