Doctor on Call

[fourtheboys96]

Who's gonna decide on what to do? nurses are there but all they can do is follow the orders of a licensed physician. Doctors have the highest position sa healthcare profession and they cannot be replaced once they are needed, kahit madaling araw pa yan, minsan nga susubu na lang sila ng pagkain nila bigla pa may emergency and so they have to rush anywhere they are needed.

i'm sure there are more than one doctor in a hospital. ndi naman siguro pababayaan ng ospital o ng ibang doktor yung pasyente kung ndi pa nadating yung "doctor on call" di ba????

[Galactus]

I'm not in favor of exempting doctors from color-coding. Next thing we know, teachers, military officers and even the butcher, the baker and candlestick maker will be wanting one too. This will basically open an avenue for abuse.

Masyado naman atang nagpapa-importante yung mga doktor dyan na kapag emergency case eh sila lang ang puwedeng magbigay ng instruction sa nurse. In a hospital setting, wala bang ibang doktor?? And if its a REAL emergency, who's the moron who would daresay na "Wag nyo munang i-treat ang pasyente. Hintayin muna natin ang doktor niya!" Jeeez!

Kung talagang nagmamadali ang doktor, he can call a cab or even relay na lang muna his instructions via phone call (or text) to other hospital staff to stabilize the patient. There are viable alternative options naman rather than blanket exemption for physicians.

[mbeige]

I'm not in favor of exempting doctors from color-coding. Next thing we know, teachers, military officers and even the butcher, the baker and candlestick maker will be wanting one too. This will basically open an avenue for abuse.

Masyado naman atang nagpapa-importante yung mga doktor dyan na kapag emergency case eh sila lang ang puwedeng magbigay ng instruction sa nurse. In a hospital setting, wala bang ibang doktor?? And if its a REAL emergency, who's the moron who would daresay na "Wag nyo munang i-treat ang pasyente. Hintayin muna natin ang doktor niya!" Jeeez!

Kung talagang nagmamadali ang doktor, he can call a cab or even relay na lang muna his instructions via phone call (or text) to other hospital staff to stabilize the patient. There are viable alternative options naman rather than blanket exemption for physicians.

For the sake of argument, some doctors are highly specialized than other doctors, and some don't have the skills (at least not yet). In these specific emergency cases I would greatly hope there'd be a way to get these doctors in quickly to treat the patient. But I agree, not all doctors need the emergency exemption so it's totally based on honesty.

However, who decides who gets what? I think since the doctors know themselves better, it would be too critical to stop them from not being able to respond in an emergency. I think I would rather err on the side of safety, and risk doctors abusing the system, than risk losing people. That is what I think the reason behind this exemption is for.

Just the same with the principle of a blanket policy: not all those who have the exemption are doctors. For all we know it may just be the family driver who did not know about the exemption badge/plate. So let's not easily generalize things. The first mistake we make is assuming something is what we think it is, only when we find out it's not entirely so. This happens quite a lot lalo na sa mga exemptions, special cases, etc.

[Galactus]

^^^ You're conveniently forgetting the local setting. Filipinos have a penchant for breaking the rules, and applying the "Me Too" philosophy. Ayaw kasing palamang, which is why when exemptions are handed out, everybody would want one, and reason out "...bakit si ganito meron, ano bang pinagkaiba nila sa amin, eh emergency din naman ang trabaho namin..." and start reciting a litany of reasons why he's entitled to it. In the long run, its more damaging.

Which is why I'm totally against this proposal. Anyway, if its a real emergency, (again I emphasize the word REAL), exemptions wouldn't matter at all. We also have MD's in the family, and they'd be the first to smirk if I told them that we would have to wait for the patient's physician in a life-threatening situation. This life-or-death bogey is, at the least, unconvincing.

Look at the exemptions they handed out to media. The wording of the law clearly stated that ONLY press vehicles (meaning vehicles owned by the media corporation and clearly designated as such) are exempted from the ban. But what happened? Pati yung personal vehicles ng mga reporters (even from fly-by-night reporters), sinaksakan lang ng sticker ng "PRESS", umaabuso na. In the long run, more harm than good will come out of it.

And as I've said in my earlier post, may mga ibang competent staff naman sa hospital, who can apply remedial measures in the absence of the personal physician. Hindi naman nauubusan ng doktor sa mga malalaking hospital at any given time, di ba?

[mbeige]

Sad, but true. The Pinoy mentality of being one step ahead corrupts any ideal principles.

I can understand your point to disallow the exemption, because many people will and have abused the system (if the government set a good example from the start I don't think that would have streamlined down to the masses).

However I think we have found common ground that if it's a true emergency, then it's just right to let them ahead. Ang mahirap lang kasi, is if the government does not provide exemptions, and if there's a true emergency, mahirap mamili between standing one's ground and position to be against exemptions, or letting out a few only to risk abuse from irresponsible drivers.

[OTEP]

The medical system is not as simple as how you see it on those TV melodramas like 'House', 'ER', 'Gray's Anatomy', or even 'M*A*S*H (for those old enough to remember that show). It's actually more akin to 'Scrubs', come to think of it. :lol:

To put it in simpler context, private patients are under the responsibility of their attending physician. That's their name and license number on the dotted line at the end of the day. Patient's with attending physicians can only be treated as per their attending instructions. And if anything needs to be done, only the attending or whoever he delegates to do the procedure can do it. We as residents can only carry out their orders or suggest measures at the most [or when asked].

Residents can treat patients without attending physicians in an E.R. setting but still under the guidance of a consultant (or someone known as a 'service consultant' in UST terms). Admitting a patient also requires the blessing of a consultant. In my department we cannot operate on a patient (even emergency cases) without having presented the patient first to the service consultant. Even then some procedures can only be done by more senior residents, who by virtue of their seniority, are allowed to leave the hospital and go on, 'on call' status when there are no cases specific to our department.

Example 1: We had a patient that accidentally swallowed a whole piece of siomai. The patient presented at the ER and they duty informed the attending physician. The patient was showing signs of going into respiratory distress. But since the patient is a private case, the best thing the duty resident can do is stabilize the patient until his/her attending arrives. Thankfully, the attending leaves nearby and the patient is rushed into the OR where the offending siomai (which was on the verge of completely occluding the airway) was removed. The resident cannot simply go into super hero mode and correct the problem. What if something goes wrong? It's still the attending's name on that dotted line.

Example 2: Some kid decides to swallow a coin at 2AM. The patient is not a private patient. However foreign body extraction is a procedure delegated to more senior residents. So the duty resident stabilizes the patient first until the senior resident on call can rush to the scene and extract the foreign body.

True there are so may of us duty in the hospital. But on any given night, you can only probably find one resident per specialty only. The others have gone home or have gone on call already.

As for the coding exemption, that is just the tip of the iceberg. Physicians are also exempted from other motoring regulations when discharging the functions of their profession. To put in in the simplest context (if I remember it right during our Legal Med classes), doctors vehicles are accorded the same rights and privileges as a fully marked ambulance when being used to respond to an emergency.

My alma mater goes as far as to issue us ID's stating the fact. In the course of my work, I've driven on the wrong side of Espana Blvd, jumped curbs, made lefts at no left turns, driven through stoplights, etc. and I'm still in my private vehicle (not yet on board the fully marked ambulance I use). Of course still with due consideration to everyone's safety.

I don't drive around in my vehicle during its coding days but its nice to know that should I need to do so, I can.

[vinrem]

Nicely put doc otep, ask ko lang and medyo off topic, if an ambulance accidentally hit a pedestrian during an emergency, liable ba ang hospital or ang driver ng ambulance??? kasi i experience this last 2 or 3yrs ago, me and my pregnant wife was crossing the street and bigla nag overtake and nag counter flow ang ambulance(it was a 2way street), muntik na matamaan ang misis ko ng ambulance, i shouted at the driver na dahan-dahan lang, ang masama pa nun eh ang driver pa ang parang galit sa amin.

[compact]

Nicely put doc otep, ask ko lang and medyo off topic, if an ambulance accidentally hit a pedestrian during an emergency, liable ba ang hospital or ang driver ng ambulance??? kasi i experience this last 2 or 3yrs ago, me and my pregnant wife was crossing the street and bigla nag overtake and nag counter flow ang ambulance(it was a 2way street), muntik na matamaan ang misis ko ng ambulance, i shouted at the driver na dahan-dahan lang, ang masama pa nun eh ang driver pa ang parang galit sa amin.

if the ambulance is proprietary in nature, yes you can claim for damages and you can also complain of administrative charges.

but if the ambulance is not proprietary, such as in the case of govt. hospital ambulance, you cannot, because you cannot sue the govt. (without its consent). you can file administrative charges however to the driver.

[LPM]

I'm not in favor of exempting doctors from color-coding. Next thing we know, teachers, military officers and even the butcher, the baker and candlestick maker will be wanting one too. This will basically open an avenue for abuse.

Masyado naman atang nagpapa-importante yung mga doktor dyan na kapag emergency case eh sila lang ang puwedeng magbigay ng instruction sa nurse. In a hospital setting, wala bang ibang doktor?? And if its a REAL emergency, who's the moron who would daresay na "Wag nyo munang i-treat ang pasyente. Hintayin muna natin ang doktor niya!" Jeeez!

Kung talagang nagmamadali ang doktor, he can call a cab or even relay na lang muna his instructions via phone call (or text) to other hospital staff to stabilize the patient. There are viable alternative options naman rather than blanket exemption for physicians.

Hindi naman sa nag papakaimportante if it is a matter bet. life or death.
I remember when i was clerk at a big private hospital in manila nasa delivery room na kami lahat residents, interns and clerks except for the attending OB. Baby out na wala pa ang attending OB.Of course the residents na ang nagdeliver so ang kawawa mga pasyenteng nagbabayad
ng private doctor ganun din sisingilin ka pa rin ng PF kahit mga residents
lang ang gumawa ng trabaho mo. Good for the doctor and patient no problems encountered naman. What if kung may masamang nangyari?
The reason for being late na traffic daw pero wala pa noon ang color coding.Maganda ang scheme na yan basta di lang abusuhin ng mga
professionals concerned.

[Galactus]

ask ko lang and medyo off topic, if an ambulance accidentally hit a pedestrian during an emergency, liable ba ang hospital or ang driver ng ambulance??? kasi i experience this last 2 or 3yrs ago, me and my pregnant wife was crossing the street and bigla nag overtake and nag counter flow ang ambulance(it was a 2way street), muntik na matamaan ang misis ko ng ambulance, i shouted at the driver na dahan-dahan lang, ang masama pa nun eh ang driver pa ang parang galit sa amin.

if the ambulance is proprietary in nature, yes you can claim for damages and you can also complain of administrative charges.

but if the ambulance is not proprietary, such as in the case of govt. hospital ambulance, you cannot, because you cannot sue the govt. (without its consent). you can file administrative charges however to the driver.

You're citing a wrong example. In the scenario you presented, you can sue the driver criminally, if it can be proven that he acted negligently. You can even file a civil case for damages against the driver. The ambulance driver is not the government, kesehoda government hospital pa may-ari nun. He is not exempt from violating traffic rules and regulations, and must exercise utmost prudence.

Although it is true that you can't sue the government without its consent, it refers to actions done by the government i.e., human rights cases, civil actions for damages, etc. and NOT traffic incidents.

Btw, what do you mean by "proprietary"?!

[compact]

You're citing a wrong example. In the scenario you presented, you can sue the driver criminally, if it can be proven that he acted negligently. You can even file a civil case for damages against the driver. The ambulance driver is not the government, kesehoda government hospital pa may-ari nun. He is not exempt from violating traffic rules and regulations, and must exercise utmost prudence.

Although it is true that you can't sue the government without its consent, it refers to actions done by the government i.e., human rights cases, civil actions for damages, etc. and NOT traffic incidents.

Btw, what do you mean by "proprietary"?!

Vinrem is asking about two entities here: the hospital and the driver:

ask ko lang and medyo off topic, if an ambulance accidentally hit a pedestrian during an emergency, liable ba ang hospital or ang driver ng ambulance???

Proprietary means that the hospital exists for a profit. If the ambulance is from a proprietary hospital, then you can also sue the hospital for damages. If the ambulance is from a govt hospital but is used for a profit, then you can claim for damages.

As far as i know, negligence is a tort, meaning it is not a criminal offense, hence you can just claim for damages, and for civil actions for damages, you cannot sue the government without its consent. And I am referring to "muntik na matamaan" part of vinrem's inquiry.

Pag namatay o may physical injury, yes you can file criminal offense to the driver but you cannot still claim for damages if its a govt hospital.

[Galactus]

I repeat, a government hospital is not the government per se, and you can sue it for any criminally negligent action. You can claim damages from the government hospital, and as a matter of fact, there are several cases already filed against numerous government hospitals for negligence.

You contradict yourself here:

if the ambulance is proprietary in nature, yes you can claim for damages and you can also complain of administrative charges.

but if the ambulance is not proprietary, such as in the case of govt. hospital ambulance, you cannot, because you cannot sue the govt. (without its consent). you can file administrative charges however to the driver

Proprietary means that the hospital exists for a profit. If the ambulance is from a proprietary hospital, then you can also sue the hospital for damages. If the ambulance is from a govt hospital but is used for a profit, then you can claim for damages.

Employees are considered as agents of the entities they are working for, and thus, any criminal action they commit CAN make their employers equally liable.

Sorry, mods for the OT. I was really blown away by the statement that one cannot sue a government hospital civilly or criminally, because of the state's constitutional privilege against being sued. Now that's stretching things a bit too far. This is my last post re: the issue.

[vinrem]

Thanks sa mga inputs guys!!! dami kasing (di naman lahat) na ambulance driver na kala nila when they are rushing a patient to the hospital maski na di ganun ka grabe ang emergency think they can do whatever they want in the street, sabi ko nga dati that it defeat the purpose eh, totoo they are in an emergency (life threathening or not)...eh pano kng na-aksidente or nakasagasa sila ng tao sa pagkaskasero nila, di ba???

[youngrider]

The Dictum is: "Go as fast as you can but as slow as needed".

Baka kulang lang sa orientation yung mg ambulance drivers. Siguro pati yung mga ambulance surgeon na rin, ika nga, they are the 'captain of the ship'.

Meron ding mga kaso na kailangan smooth yung ride otherwise detrimental ito sa condition ng pasyente. Isipin mo kung ikaw yung pasyente at sobra pa sa ahas kung umekis-ekis yung ambulance, aba, mahirap ata yan, baka matigok ka ng wala sa oras.

Well, I think the ambulance surgeon must be responsible enough, dapat alam nya kung gaano dapat kabilis ang takbo nila so that the drivers will be guided accordingly.

At yung mga drivers na pasaway, dapat ay bigyan ng leksyon.

[OTEP]

Yes, there are lots of untrained, undertrained ambulance drivers out there. These are usually the ones that drive those ambulances full of politocos names on the sides. Most big name ambulance companies do not tolerate such driving.

Interestingly, an ambulance in action is more akin to 'controlled chaos'. To the untrained eye some maneuvers can seem like inviting danger or downright dangerous but in reality they are controlled maneuvers to make ambulances safer.

Take for example, slicing across 4 lanes of traffic. An ambulance will do this randomly to shake off tailgaters who are looking for a quick ticket out of traffic. This discourages other drivers from tailgating because they know they cannot outmaneuver a fully outfitted emergency vehicle.

Siren tones also change depending on what the ambulance is doing. High density traffic? Open road? Approaching a 4 way crossing? There are different siren tones for different situations and drivers should be trained regarding this.

Even when going against the flow of traffic or crossing a stoplight, there are still certain safety measures that need to be undertaken.

It's not as simple as hitting the siren and driving as fast as you can.

[webmiester]

Hehehe...toxic kami ni Otep so no time to reply.

Yes, I agree that the Doctor on Call sticker is one that is being abused to so much. Almost everyone has it. Yung iba nga hindi na sticker. Bondpaper nalang with the words "Doctor on Call" printed on it then either pasted or clipped on the windshield. The people who use these stickers as a way to escape the color-coding scheme or to merely justify their driving antics are those who give doctors a bad reputation. Its true, there are some doctors who abuse such a privilege but not all doctors are like that.

It is for this reason that I approached Otep last March and told him that we both legitimized our Doctor on Call stickers by personally applying for the official MMDA Doctor on Call sticker which exempts us from UVRP and Towing. These official MMDA stickers are given only to doctors and necessary papers such as PRC license and letter of certification from respective hospitals have to be submitted before the Office of the Chairman issues one. These are not forever stickers. They have to be renewed quarterly at a cost of P100/renewal.

Hi, the MMDA actually has a sticker such as this. One of my sis's had one on her car before I graduated. Its a HUGE sticker (kasing laki ng bond paper) and it also tells enforcers not to tow the car. The price is around P600 yata kaya walang kumukuha.

However, it is really the doctor who is excused and not the car. So even if doctors do not pay for such stickers, doctors will still be excused. I must admit that there some abuses in this regard, however, doctors are always considered "on call" because we get called anytime for emergencies.

If a doctor was to go to a mall to watch a movie and decides to commute because his car is color coded... then at the mall he receives an emergency call at the hospital, he has no car to use to go to the hospital...

It is also in this regard that I think we should also consider ambulances and other emergency vehicles as always on emergency call even if they have no patients and are merely returning to the hospital. They can be called anytime and must be at the hospital at the earliest possible time so that they are available if an emergency does come.

In Coming home from a 32-hour duty at a hospital, doctors are very very tired and were not able to go home (or sleep) earlier because of emergencies and patients, I supposed it's not a very big thing to let him go home as early as possible even if he is color-coded considering the work hours and emergencies he handled. When he gets home, he can get called again, and I think he must get some rest ASAP.

MMDA stickers with price tags will only tempt people to fake IDs and/or to ask for IDs from their friends. Also, it still doesnt stop doctors from attaching their own "Doctor on Call" stickers on their vehicle. Again, it is the doctor who is excused and not the car, so if the car doesnt have the correct sticker, he would still be excused.

Abuses in this regard come not just within the medical field but from all fields:

1) Media on Call - Do Not Delay : Media personnel are not supposed to be exempted but they are because we are afraid of getting bad publicity. Secondly, not all media are the same. One such "media" company had that printed on their vehicles, but their company actually only prints "Song Hits" type magazines...

2) Politicians, judges and those with Special Plates - Kahit drivers and anak nila exempted and many of them drive very abusively

3) Armored Cars

4) Signs which says "Presidential Project - Do not Delay"

5) Perishable Goods

6) PNP & Police officers - I know someone who used to hang a PNP jacket at the back of the vehicle, and would never be apprehended...

Basically, everyone wants an exemption and they find means and ways to do so. I admit that the "Doctor on Call" is one of these ways, but simply putting "Media" or a PNP jacket at the back of your vehicle also works. Pinning this on doctors may not be the best thing to do.

[s_quilicot]

Yes, there are lots of untrained, undertrained ambulance drivers out there. These are usually the ones that drive those ambulances full of politocos names on the sides. Most big name ambulance companies do not tolerate such driving.

Interestingly, an ambulance in action is more akin to 'controlled chaos'. To the untrained eye some maneuvers can seem like inviting danger or downright dangerous but in reality they are controlled maneuvers to make ambulances safer.

Take for example, slicing across 4 lanes of traffic. An ambulance will do this randomly to shake off tailgaters who are looking for a quick ticket out of traffic. This discourages other drivers from tailgating because they know they cannot outmaneuver a fully outfitted emergency vehicle.

Siren tones also change depending on what the ambulance is doing. High density traffic? Open road? Approaching a 4 way crossing? There are different siren tones for different situations and drivers should be trained regarding this.

Even when going against the flow of traffic or crossing a stoplight, there are still certain safety measures that need to be undertaken.

It's not as simple as hitting the siren and driving as fast as you can.

Hi, the MMDA actually has a sticker such as this. One of my sis's had one on her car before I graduated. Its a HUGE sticker (kasing laki ng bond paper) and it also tells enforcers not to tow the car. The price is around P600 yata kaya walang kumukuha.

However, it is really the doctor who is excused and not the car. So even if doctors do not pay for such stickers, doctors will still be excused. I must admit that there some abuses in this regard, however, doctors are always considered "on call" because we get called anytime for emergencies.

If a doctor was to go to a mall to watch a movie and decides to commute because his car is color coded... then at the mall he receives an emergency call at the hospital, he has no car to use to go to the hospital...

It is also in this regard that I think we should also consider ambulances and other emergency vehicles as always on emergency call even if they have no patients and are merely returning to the hospital. They can be called anytime and must be at the hospital at the earliest possible time so that they are available if an emergency does come.

In Coming home from a 32-hour duty at a hospital, doctors are very very tired and were not able to go home (or sleep) earlier because of emergencies and patients, I supposed it's not a very big thing to let him go home as early as possible even if he is color-coded considering the work hours and emergencies he handled. When he gets home, he can get called again, and I think he must get some rest ASAP.

MMDA stickers with price tags will only tempt people to fake IDs and/or to ask for IDs from their friends. Also, it still doesnt stop doctors from attaching their own "Doctor on Call" stickers on their vehicle. Again, it is the doctor who is excused and not the car, so if the car doesnt have the correct sticker, he would still be excused.

Abuses in this regard come not just within the medical field but from all fields:

1) Media on Call - Do Not Delay : Media personnel are not supposed to be exempted but they are because we are afraid of getting bad publicity. Secondly, not all media are the same. One such "media" company had that printed on their vehicles, but their company actually only prints "Song Hits" type magazines...

2) Politicians, judges and those with Special Plates - Kahit drivers and anak nila exempted and many of them drive very abusively

3) Armored Cars

4) Signs which says "Presidential Project - Do not Delay"

5) Perishable Goods

6) PNP & Police officers - I know someone who used to hang a PNP jacket at the back of the vehicle, and would never be apprehended...

Basically, everyone wants an exemption and they find means and ways to do so. I admit that the "Doctor on Call" is one of these ways, but simply putting "Media" or a PNP jacket at the back of your vehicle also works. Pinning this on doctors may not be the best thing to do.

nicely said.

kaso nga lang may abuse talaga.

doc otep physicians car ba pwedeng maglagay ng hide a way strobe?

[webmiester]

And as I've said in my earlier post, may mga ibang competent staff naman sa hospital, who can apply remedial measures in the absence of the personal physician. Hindi naman nauubusan ng doktor sa mga malalaking hospital at any given time, di ba?

Actually, we do have a shortage.

The reason why we arent running out of doctors in big hospital centers is because we have to do extended shifts. This week, my collegue has to do 48 hour shifts just to ensure that we have 1 doctor available at all times. Previously, Ive done 36 hour shifts every 2 days. (Monday 6am- Tues 5pm then Wed 6am till Thurs 5pm, etc). We also have doctors in other places who are on "Perpetual Duty", meaning that they live in the hospital na and dont go home. Hindi nauubusan because pinipilit natin, but this is far from the ideal setup. Sana even the smaller centers should always have doctors, pero today the smaller centers are manned only by a nurse or midwife. Kaya nga actually, the exemption should also apply to them (nurse, midwives) a lot of times, kasi they really do carry emergency situations.

Even private physicians in their offices get calls from the emergency rooms and they need to come. Ive seen many of our established doctors arrive at 12am or 3am just to see our ER patients. they probably dont need the exemptions at those times, pero during color coding hours, the exemption can mean a life-or-death situation fro his/her patients.

[webmiester]

The Dictum is: "Go as fast as you can but as slow as needed".

Baka kulang lang sa orientation yung mg ambulance drivers. Siguro pati yung mga ambulance surgeon na rin, ika nga, they are the 'captain of the ship'.

Meron ding mga kaso na kailangan smooth yung ride otherwise detrimental ito sa condition ng pasyente. Isipin mo kung ikaw yung pasyente at sobra pa sa ahas kung umekis-ekis yung ambulance, aba, mahirap ata yan, baka matigok ka ng wala sa oras.

Well, I think the ambulance surgeon must be responsible enough, dapat alam nya kung gaano dapat kabilis ang takbo nila so that the drivers will be guided accordingly.

At yung mga drivers na pasaway, dapat ay bigyan ng leksyon.

Yes, we do have abusive ambulance drivers. Pero we also have abusive drivers of other cars and abusive (or careless) pedestrians.

We have to always be weary and aware of these sirens. When we hear them - GIVE WAY!

If you're a pedestrian and you hear a siren - GIVE WAY!

Its sad to note that here in the Phil, it's almost always the driver's fault when something happens, but in reality, we can do many more to prevent accidents even when we arent the driver.

Case in tow:

This is a case that really happened while I was a clerk:

A 14 year old boy was driving his motorcycle at the highway. (NOTE: 14 yr old, no license, no helmet, nothing!)...

His motorcycle tried to overtake a jeepney and was hit by the jeepney. The boy was thrown off and hit an ambulance going the opposite direction. Ambulance was returning to the hospital, running at 40kph.

Was the ambulance at fault? In this particular case, the hospital still took care of the kid. I heard that the parents were mad at the hospital.

Evidence has it that the ambulance had a huge dent on its front. But we should also examine the other stuff: What was a 14 yr old during racing on the highway on a motorcycle? The helmet may or may not have saved him considering the force of the impact.

Anyway, ang hirap kasi is that everyone is trying to figure out who they can sue when situations come. Let's remember that we can do so much more ourselves to avoid the stresses of the others. Ambulance drivers are stressed and hard-pressed to deliver their emergencies, let's GIVE WAY! To lessen their stress.

Personally, since I started driving so many years ago, I look for the sirens when I hear it. I dont overtake the ambulance. If Im on the lane where the ambulance is on, I change lane. If Im not on the lane the ambulance is on, I dont change lane. When the ambulance is beside me na, I slow down para the ambulance can take my lane if he needs to. Same goes to firetrucks, etc. Huwag makipagkarera sa ambulance.

Who knows, baka mom mo or dad mo ang nasa loob ng ambulance na iyon. Ang even if hindi, it is somebody's mom, dad or child who is in there.

[mazzipino]

Instead of making a new thread, my question is slightly related to this thread. Is it legal for non-Doctors/Surgeons etc to have them MD emblems on their car? Because I've seen a few people selling them on the internet and just got me curious.

TIA.