Doctor Ezra Valida used to walk some seven kilometers to get to his makeshift clinic in the next barangay to deliver basic health care to residents of remote barrios who need them most. He would wake up early every day to make up for the 45 minutes he needed to cover that distance.
Not anymore.
Valida, and several other doctors who choose to work in small towns in the provinces, has found an unlikely new friend in a non-medical equipment: the bicycle.
For many, a bicycle ride is something of a hobby or a sport, a recreational activity. But to doctors like Valida, the bike serves a far more meaningful purpose. Having access to a bicycle means less time walking, and more time healing.
“With the bike, I was no longer dependent on public transport. I need not bother myself with fuel. I was more flexible. I could do the clinics in the morning, do the public health programs in the afternoon, monitor progress of projects, and go home before it gets dark,” Valida said.
What used to take 45 minutes to get to the next barangay now takes only 15 minutes with his bike. It was this effective means of transport that earned them the moniker “bike doctors.”
As part of the Doctors to the Barrios (DTTB) program of the Department of Health, Valida has been providing his medical services for free for about a year at the Yolanda-stricken town of Hernani in Eastern Samar.
It was particularly hard for them to travel after the supertyphoon hit the area late last year—there were many injured patients from the disaster and there were shortages in fuel supply. Owner of public vehicles that do have the fuel would hike the fare. Four months after Yolanda wrecked the region, public transport has not gotten back to what would be considered normal.
It was during this time when Emmanuel Batungbacal or Coach Manny, on a medical mission with Singaporean Volunteer Doctors, met Valida and got to know of their situation. Coach Manny happened to be part of Primer Group of Companies’ CORE (Center for Outdoor Recreation and Expedition), a group specifically tasked to spearhead and carry out outreach and local tourism initiatives in the country.
“When I met local volunteer doctors, I realized that there should be a more efficient way for them to service people who need immediate medical attention without putting a toll on their own health,” Coach Manny said.
In January, CORE gave out the first bike to Valida and the “Bike Doctors” program was born.
The Bike Doctors program aims to provide the doctors in the devastated areas in our countries with a functional bicycle that will make traveling from barrio to barrio less of a stress. As a result, doctors get to divert the energy they would have used walking to treating more people. It's also a way to boost their morale and make them feel more appreciated in a way. Hey, biking keeps them fit, too.
Bikes are the most practical, sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective type of transportation. This is especially true in typhoon-torn area like Hernani. Coach Manny said he sees a huge potential for this program to improve the efficiency of heath care in rural areas.
By seeking kindhearted patrons and sponsors, Coach Manny and his team has managed to gather nine bicycles, three of which are already in the good hands (or feet, for that matter) of Valida and fellow doctors. The others will soon be shipped to Tacloban.
“Friends and family were very enthusiastic with the project, so they helped spread the word. With so much positive response, we believe we would be able to deploy 100 bikes by the end of the year, possibly more,” said Coach Manny.
CORE does not hand just any bike. The bicycles are fully outfitted with custom designed bike bags where doctors could put their medical tools for easier transport. They provide helmets, lights, pumps, tire wrenches, spare tires, and reflectors. Columbia Sportswear has also pledged uniforms and jackets for each bike that is donated.
Each bike, together with all the aforementioned tools, cost more than P20,000.
“We're very fortunate to be getting the help we need. We get to buy Mongoose Switchback Mountain Bikes at a really good discount,” he said.
Valida is no expert biker but the bicycle has definitely made his travel more friendly to his legs—and back. No longer does he need to carry his emergency medication, camera, office reports, and laptop. Now, he puts everything in the bike bag and starts pedaling.
Coach Manny said they are prioritizing provinces hit by Yolanda, but that the goal is to ultimately go nationwide.
The driving principle is pretty simple: The more bikes they get to deploy, the more doctors they will be able to help. The more doctors they help, the more people will benefit from free medical assistance. It's really a win-win situation for all.
Coach Manny said: “It's still a very young project. At this stage, we're focusing on giving out bikes to doctors. But hopefully, sooner rather than later, we could deploy some for teachers, too.”
*** This article has been slightly edited for TWIST. It was first published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer's RoadTalk section on March 8, 2014. ***
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