House bill appropriates ambulance fee to DPS

The House of Representatives has passed a bill that will earmark the $250 fee paid for by patients transported to the Commonwealth Health Center by ambulance for repair and maintenance of the vans, as well as purchase of equipment and medicine.

Backed by both public safety and health officials, the measure is intended to appropriate the money to the Department of Public Safety for the ambulance of operations instead of using the funds for general expenditures of the government.

Under the present system, the Department of Public Health collects the fee and deposited into the general fund, not a single penny of which goes for the maintenance of the fleet of vans by the DPS.

Last year, nearly 1,900 ambulance runs were made by DPS, collecting $474,250 in total fees. For the first two months of 2000, the department ferried 280 patients to the hospital.

HB 12-101 or the CNMI Ambulance Fee act offered by Rep. Jesus T. Attao will transfer those funds into a special account within the Department of Finance.

These will then be set aside specifically for the repair, maintenance and upgrade of ambulance and rescue vehicles; purchase of EMS and Rescue equipment and supplies.

Likewise, an appropriation from the account will be made for training and continuing education of rescue personnel, according to the measure passed recently by the lower house.

Based on the findings of the House Committee on Health and Welfare, the vehicles and equipment used by the department for emergency medical services are in a state of general disrepair that should be replaced or upgraded. 

“Because of funding difficulties experienced by DPS in maintaining its emergency medical service operation, the repair and replacement of vehicles, purchase of much needed equipment and supplies, and training of staff are not done on a regular basis,” said a committee report endorsing the proposal.

DPS Commissioner Charles W. Ingram expressed support for the bill which he said is “excellent.” Public Health Sec. Joseph Kevin Villagomez the proposal is timely in light of the spiraling costs of operating the vans.

“It is a well-known fact that our ambulances are constantly being in use to provide assistance to our citizens that need their services. They are and must be on a 24-hour standby status for accidents and other disasters,” he said in a letter to HW chair Rep. Malua T. Peter.

This is the second time that the House has considered such proposal. Last year, a similar measure did not reach the floor for voting.

The move, which stemmed from an oversight hearing conducted on DPS, was meant to address what the Legislature perceived as unfair treatment and to correct the existing set-up that has shortchanged DPS for the past several years. (Benhur C. Saladores)