PALO, Leyte — Not all ambulances are on wheels. Some are seagoing vessels serving towns with island barangays here.

Bato, a town 104 kilometers southwest of Tacloban City, is the first town in Leyte province to acquire a sea ambulance courtesy of the Department of Health regional office.

“The sea ambulance can be used to transport individuals in need of immediate care to the appropriate health facilities,” Jelyn Lopez, DoH-8 regional information officer, said.

Funding for the sea ambulance came from the Health Facilities Enhancement Program allocation for 2022, which allocated Bato P5 million for infrastructure and P2.5-million for the procurements of a motor vehicle.

The sea ambulance is equipped with an oxygen tank, a resuscitator, a defibrillator, and immobilization devices so that individuals with serious injuries can be attended to with the necessary first-aid care.