Most ambulances in the Philippines are converted Toyota Hi-Ace vans. From commuters, Grandia of all variants, to as simple as a Nissan NV350. In some parts of the country, especially in Metro Manila, some of them have been using a much larger, more suited ambulance to transport patients.
Carmakers in the Philippines continue to provide support to healthcare workers and medical frontliners, from paramedic first responders to nurses and doctors amid the coronavirus pandemic that wreaked havoc in the country.
Foton Philippines turned over six (6) Foton Toano units to the Philippine Red Cross (P.R.C.), these units are "negative pressure" ambulances, known as "N-95 Mobile Solution." It can effectively protect medical workers from being infected with any viruses from patients.
It features a custom and highly modified cabin specifically designed to transport patients infected by the Coronavirus disease.
With the help of better isolation solutions, it can combat the aerosol spread of viruses of all kinds. But these units were given to the Philippine Red Cross (P.R.C.) mainly to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
These ambulances have higher corrosion resistance, more medical equipment and higher sanitizing standards making it not solely for transport since the vehicle has various life-saving medical equipment on board, such as ventilators, defibrillators, electrocardiography (E.C.G.) monitors, ultraviolet disinfection lamps, centralized oxygen outlets, etc. It is basically a mobile intensive care unit (I.C.U.).
It is more spacious than the common ambulances that are usually seen in the Philippines, measuring nearly 6-meters in length and 1.7-meters in height.
The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (S.B.M.A.) has been using this ambulance to transport Covid-19 patients, among other emergency vehicles. The authority's fire department disinfects the ambulance after every use.
Meanwhile, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority also received last year a more common Toyota Commuter that has been converted to be able to transport patients.
