Sta. Cruz Emergence Response, Inc.

                 Are we duplicating services already provided by the D.O.H., the B.H.W.'s, or the Infanta ambulance service?
What is Sta. Cruz Emergency Response, Inc.?
The mission of Sta. Cruz Emergency Response Inc. is to protect life and promote health by providing Emergency Medical Services, and other basic health services, as required, to the municipality of Sta. Cruz, Zambales. 

We are a volunteer, community, non-governmental organization (NGO).  We are registered with the Philippine Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) number CN200903980, with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) OCN 4RC0000462560 TIN 007-263-739-000, and with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) FO III R-000016-2009. We are a member of the DSWD Area Based Standards Network (ABSNET).

We maintain 100% transparency and post all our financials on our website and at our office. We have no paid staff (The Executive Director receives one peso a month) and ALL our donations are used for the purposes intended by the donors. 
What is the Barangay Emergency Response Team?
These are the core groups of Sta. Cruz Emergency Response Inc. They are organized by Barangay and focus on the individual health needs of the Barangay. They link with other Barangays to provide service where needed. Their primary focus is to provide Emergency Medical Services, and other basic health services, as required, to the barangay. They seek out those people who are sick or injured and in need of immediate medical attention. They provide First-Aid to the injured, and refer those with illness to an appropriate medical practitioner or medical facility. If transportation is required for an indigent patient, it will be provided. If food is needed for an undernourished indigent ill patient then nourishing food and food supplements will be provided. In the event of an accident, the Barangay Emergency Response Team provides Red Cross trained First Responders to manage the scene, help the injured, and arrange for transport to the hospital. Unlike the BHW whose mission is to provide preventive medicine to the Barangay, the Emergency Response Teams provide intervention for the sick and injured. They do, when called upon, assist the BHW in the distribution of Vitamin A and de-worming medicines to the under 5 year old children, and in the weighing of infants and children. They are not involved in the immunization program or the pre-natal functions of the BHW's. They are always willing to assist the BHW's in any capacity when needed.
What other services does Sta. Cruz Emergency Response provide?
BOTIKA NATIN SA NAYON
We sponsor and operate Botika Natin in the Barangays that have no access to low priced generic medicines. We currently sponsor three Botika Natin sa Nayons. The Botika Natin's augment the DOH Botika Barangay's (which have limited functioning in Sta. Cruz.) A forth Botika Natin is planned for 2010 in another barangay that has no access to low cost generic medicine. The profit from the operation of the Botika Natin is retained by the operator and is one of our DSWD livelihood projects which is a benefit to the barangay and has come about as we fulfill the need for low priced medicine in the barangays.

MEDICINE FOR BARANGAY HEALTH CENTER PATIENTS 
This project distributes needed medicines to the people through a chit basis. The BHW's identify those persons in immediate need of medicine and give them a chit. No money is handled by the patients, midwives, or Barangay Health Workers (BHW). The Chit is then taken to the Botika Natin in either Sabang or Bolitoc for distribution of the required medicines. This project is only presently operating in Brgys. Bolitoc and Sabang. We have assisted over 35 individuals with medicine needs at an average cost of P46 per person. This project is on going as long as funds are available.

EMERGENCY HEALTH CARE: 
Expenses charged to the Emergency Health Care Project  project include transportation (no emergency ambulance is available in Sta. Cruz), hospital and physician fees, medicines, food for patient and family members, and incidentals. This project has already saved lives. We have helped over 25  patients at a cost of  P12,000 to date.

AMBULANCE FUND:
With a population of nearly 53,000 Sta. Cruz must rely on the neighboring community of Infanta, Pangasinan to provide ambulance support. When an ambulance is required, the Mayor must be notified. The Mayor will then call the Mayor of Infanta to request the ambulance. The Mayor of Infanta will then dispatch the ambulance to Sta. Cruz hospital, if it is available. Sta. Cruz Emergency Response, Inc has started a fund to purchase and operate an ambulance within the municipality of Sta. Cruz, Zambales to serve the 53,000 residence.  We desire an ambulance that will  be available to respond immediately if  needed for an accident or serious illness in any barangay in Sta. Cruz.  The ambulance will also transport to the hospital, the  indigent ill that can not afford any other means of transportation. Click to see the Ambulance Fund Project.

Free Medical Consultations and Min-Medical Missions:
Four different barangays each month receive Free Medical Consultations and Mini-Medical Missions. We have already provided this service to Brgy's. Sabong, Bolitoc, Naulo, San Fernando and Ginabon.  Dra. Imelda "Medie" Edodollon is the attending Physician.  At Brgy. Ginabon more than 100 people were examined and screened. We average more than 50 patients at each mission. Transportation was provided for those requiring immediate transport.

Are we duplicating services already provided by the D.O.H., the B.H.W.'s, or Infanta ambulance service?

No!  We work with DOH and the BHW's to provide a service that  was not previously available in Sta. Cruz. As to the Infanta ambulance service,  it does not fill the need for an emergency  response in the case of accident of serious illness in Sta. Cruz.

ONLY TWO OF MANY EXAMPLES OF HOW WE WORK TOGETHER:

In August 2009, we were contacted my Mrs. Tongson, MSWDO, that Rose Marie Bernal of Longos had Tuberculosis, other medical problems and was undernourished. Mrs. Tongson ask that the Barangay Emergency Response Team of Bolitoc check on her. Prior to this the DOH and BHW's had been assisting Rose Marie with the anti-tuberculosis medication and monitoring her to prevent the disease from spreading to other family members. When the BERT volunteers visited Rose Marie, they were able to provide her with transportation to see a physician, provided food and food supplements, and continued in assisting her with her medical needs until her death at Ospital ng Sta. Cruz from complications of the tuberculosis. The BERT  volunteers have continued to provide medical assistance to her family. Her young son had pneumonia as did her sister. The Office of the Mayor assisted in providing X-ray examinations for the two children.

In October 2009, we were ask by Dr. Montes and Nurse Tongson of RHU-II to provide their patients in Bolitoc and Sabong with Anti-Tuberculosis medication. The DOH had run out of supply. Patients are usually on a six month regiment, and if they miss a dose, they are required to start the entire six months over. Through our Botika Natin's and the MEDICINE FOR BARANGAY HEALTH CENTER PATIENTS PROJECT, we were able to supply the needed medication until the RHU received it's supply.