Patient dies as ambulance breaks down in EDSA gridlock

[Monseratto]

Another "only in da Philippines"?

MANILA, Philippines -- The horrendous traffic in EDSA virtually killed a 65-year-old doctor, when the ambulance bringing her to a Quezon City hospital broke down Tuesday in the middle of a vehicular gridlock along the highway.

Dr. Amelia Dela Cruz, the owner of the A. De la Cruz Maternity Hospital in Cavite City, had suffered a heart attack and was aboard the hospital ambulance en route to the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City when they got stuck in a traffic jam along EDSA Magallanes in Makati City.

Upon reaching the intersection of Edsa and Kamias Road at around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, the ambulance radiator overheated and the vehicle conked out with De la Cruz, fighting for her life.

Concerned bystanders immediately attempted to help out by flagging down vehicles to transfer the patient, who was starting to convulse and turn blue.

Members of the media, whose press office was just across the place of the incident, tried to seek the help of police personnel from the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Kamuning Station 10 in bringing the 65-year-old doctor to the hospital, but were rebuffed.

The police officers claimed that they did not have the keys to their mobile patrol unit and could not bring the patient to the Philippine Heart Center.

A computer operator of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Ireneo Baligod, driving an Isuzu Tamaraw passed by the ambulance and saw the incident. He stopped without being asked, offered to take the patient to the hospital.

Unfortunately, although Baligod was able to bring the doctor to the Philippine Heart Center, the emergency room staff were unable to revive her and she was pronounced dead at around 3:30 p.m., an hour after the ambulance broke down.

[chua_riwap]

Di ba dapat "in good running condition" palagi mga hospital ambulances at well maintained? Kasi nobody knows kung ano mangyayari sa daan kung bulok ang ambulansiya.

Masaklap pa, yung sarili nyang ambulansiya ang bumigay. Kawawa naman si Dra. Dela Cruz.

Kudos to that BIR man Baligod who volunteered to take the patient to the Heart Center. Yun namang mga QC Police, mga lintek kayo! As usual.........WALA KAYONG SILBI! Nakakahiya kayo!

[Gumusut_Amige]

im not a medical person pero bakit di ba pwede naman siguro... kahit fx taxi lang ang kinuha nung tumirik yung ambulansya para dalhin sa pinakamalapit na ospital para marevive lang ang puso nya?
yan talaga ang problema dito sa atin... karamihan iisa ang ambulance bawat ospital. sinasabi ko yung malilit na ospital lang ha.

[Satio]

The police officers claimed that they did not have the keys to their mobile patrol unit and could not bring the patient to the Philippine Heart Center.

HUH???

[Galant_VR_94]

Kawawa naman siya. Dapat talaga good running condition ang mga ambulansya natin dito sa Pinas. These are the vehicles we use in saving lives. What use would they serve if they cant even bring a patient to the hospital?

Dun naman sa mga pulis......kahit naman cguro wala yung susi ng mga mobile nila, may radio naman diba? I also find it hard to believe na walang may sariling kotse na pulis dun sa station na yun! Sana man lang nag-offer sila na tumulong kahit sa maliit na paraan kaysa pinabayaan nilang mamatay lang ng walang kalaban-laban yung patient.


To the family of the patient who died, my condolences po.

[jundogg]

tsk tsk tsk

epekto ng traffic, bumigay ang pobreng ambulansya. RIP kay doc.
sana lang, rare natural cause ang dahilan nang pagkasira ng gamit nilang ambulance, at HINDI sa kadahilanang tinitipid ang budget to the extent na napapabayaan ang maintenance ng sasakyan.

to the QC cops, wala ngang silbi-
poor response and service sa emergency situations.
another for you!!!

[jundogg]

maalala ko, eh kailan lang pinagmayabang ng QC ang mga bagong mobile cars nila. ang daming vios o altis ata yun ang rumonda sa quezon ave,ingay pa ng mga wang-wang. sabay-sabay pinatunog.

bago nga pero wala pala susi pag emergency! amf!

[VtEC]

nakakatawang nakakaasar ang balitang yan;

una yong kakatuwa;
a) tapat daw ng press office huminto, then they tried calling the nearest police station e bakit pa sila tatawag sa mga pulis e meron naman silang mga service don for sure (ewan kolang).samantalang me ibang mga press na ikakabit lang yong malaking id nila kala mo kung sino na sila sa daan na ayaw din ng traffic.
kakainis
b) then sa dami ng sasakyan sa daan, bakit ni isa ala man lang napara yong mga bystanders don.
c) yong alang susi mga police cars, hay naku

[cutedoc]

bilang ka ng sampong maganda sa pinas 8 dun palpak...

kawawa si doktora, pwede pa sanang maisalba ang buhay niya kung nagbigay ang mga sasakyan, kung maayos ang ambulansiyang ginamit at kung ang mga pulis na asa paligid ay tumutupad sa sinumpaan nilang serbisiyo publiko.

[jeffrocks]

Again...neither each one of us here in tsikot was present during that sad fate
of the doctor, although she was expired later,jumping conclusions will do no good either...a media palabok...may her soul rest in peace.

[DON2003]

where I learn to drive, when you heard a siren, everyone is pulling aside even heavy traffic moves a bit aside just to clear a lane for any emergency, even a simple hazard with horn are respected by all drivers,

only in the Philippines, all drivers are deaf, once I was trying to pull aside to let an ambulance pass, but the car beside me honk and not letting me, so uneducated and irresponsible drivers, their license should be revoke just because of this

[Autobeat]

Napapa na lang ako when I hear stories like these.

Where are all those police in motorbikes escorting "VIP" convoys just to get through traffic? They should be helping escort a real emergency like this instead.

[buriroy]

Kahit super condition ang ambulance and si Pocholo
Ramirez ang driver, malamang hindi ka rin talaga
makakarating ng buhay sa ospital due to traffic
gridlock and pasaway Pinoy drivers who counterflow
and block intersections!

When you feel your ticker skipping a beat and your
chest getting heavy with the double misfortune
of living in Metro Manila during the Xmas season,
then start saying your prayers baby coz your time
is just about up!

[smooth]

Napapa na lang ako when I hear stories like these.

Where are all those police in motorbikes escorting "VIP" convoys just to get through traffic? They should be helping escort a real emergency like this instead.

around 5K per motorbike rider ata yun e. yung tita ko nagpa-escort na sa mga yan. hindi kelangan na VIP ka. kelangan lang may lima kang asul na papel.

cavite to phil heart center. whew. traffic talaga yan. pero baka mas madali kung nag-C5 sila.

[mayhem]

I was just so concerned on the medical protocol itself on the staff who transferred the patient.

The referring doctor should have stabilized the patient first, considered the time element of transfer,used type 2 ambulance with resuscitation and emergency equipments on board as well as the staff (atleast onboard medical doctor, a nurse and an EMT) and lastly another type 1 ambulance or a private vehicle on convoy considering it is a priority 1 triage patient transfer.

The police officers should have atleast gave assistance to them either by ciontacting a nearby hospital with an ambulance service for back up assistance. the heck, sometimes our police force are lousy and useless.

i can say that this was a hush hush transfer or perhaps the patient was already clinically dead prior to transfer. who knows...

but one things for sure, the traffic and all circumstances are just secondary.. If they have only considered the above mentioned pre-requisites of patient transfer.

[uls]

after all that's been said, it all comes down to one thing ---

Here, life is cheap.

People are apathetic.

the mentality here is ---- if it doesnt concern me or my loved ones, then it's not my problem.

[Bry]

OT: What's an Isuzu Tamaraw?

[mazingerZ]

OT: What's an Isuzu Tamaraw?

nyahaha. Its in the same league as a Honda Starex . . . ( Sorry mods couldnt help myself).

My condolence to the deceased doctor na lang. Only in the Philippines.

[wewoy_romero]

i remember a very old commercial where this driver ignores a firetruck behind him and blocks the way, only to find out when he got home na nasunog bahay niya and seeing the same firemen he blocked explaining na kaya sila nahuli ng dating kasi hindi kasi sila makalusot sa traffic dahil ayaw magpadaan ng mga sasakyan

[meledson]

Nakikiramay po sa namatayan. At least may good samaritan pa rin. (according to the news last night)