Marcos orders DOH to set up clinics in evacuation centers

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PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday ordered the Department of Health (DOH) to set up mobile clinics or deploy medical teams to evacuation centers to ensure the health conditions of evacuees, especially young children and elders with co-morbidities or are taking maintenance medicines.

“Kailangan mayroon silang clinic sa bawat evacuation center, or at least may umiikot na medical team (They need to have a clinic in evacuation centers, or at least a medical team doing rounds),” the President said during a situational briefing held at the Presidential Security Command compound.

Marcos said that while the DOH prepares to set up the mobile clinics, barangay health workers (BHWs) could be tapped to check on the evacuees.

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“We have to get some medical (team), kahit na iyung mga BHWs lang nila muna … hanggang makarating ang doctors dun. Mag assess lang sila that everybody is okay, anybody in need of immediate help (We have to get some medical (team), even the BHWs first… until the doctors arrive. Let them assess that everybody is okay, anybody in need of immediate help),” he said.

He said apart from ensuring the health of everyone, doctors and health professionals can issue prescriptions to meet the emergency needs of elders who need maintenance medicines, explaining that some evacuees might not have access to their prescriptions, which would make it difficult for them to buy medicines which cannot be bought over the counter.

During the situational briefing, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said around 189,014 families, or 910,536 individuals, were affected by super typhoon ‘Carina,’ while 123,992 families or 612,961 individuals have taken shelter in various evacuation centers.

On the other hand, data from the Disaster Response Management group of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) showed there are 101,509 families (393,962 persons) affected by Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon in 1,004 barangays from Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and the National Capital Region (NCR).

Of the figures, the data showed that 21, 318 families (86,986 persons are now housed in 682 evacuation centers, while 1,394 families (5,717persons) are temporarily staying with relatives or friends.

CODE BLUE

Health Secretary Teodor Herbosa said the DOH is bracing itself for a potential surge in diseases, especially among those displaced and are staying in evacuation centers.

In a press conference in Quezon City, Herbosa said they are preparing their personnel in handling more diseases, including respiratory and water-borne diseases.

“The more people there are in evacuation centers, the higher the number of those who will get sick. It could be measles, diarrhea, colds, cough, and even mental health problems,” said Herbosa.

“I am telling you, there will be an increase in cases,” he added, noting DOH data showing that there are 277,431 individuals or 38,004 families staying in 835 evacuation centers across Luzon, including Metro Manila.

To ensure the availability of necessary medical and health services, the DOH raised the Code Blue alert in the NCR, Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon.

This means that all DOH regional units concerned must coordinate with implementing agencies for the dispatch of teams or experts; coordinate with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and other sectors; plan for support to affected regions in cases of long-term emergencies; and initiate the conduct of coordinative meeting of the health cluster.

On the other hand, the DOH said the Code White alert are in effect in Cagayan Valley and CAR.

Under the Code White Alert, the concerned DOH regional units are tasked to monitor and be on standby mode.

Under the Code Blue alert, the DOH is required to make sure that there are physicians and nurses in all evacuation centers.

“We will make sure that each evacuation center has a health desk so that there are doctors and nurses available to attend to evacuees,” said the health chief.

He said the evacuation centers will also be linked to the nearest hospitals.

“If there is a need to isolate or confine a patient, the patient will be brought by an ambulance to the nearest medical center,” he said.

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Addressing mental health problems will also be an added task for the health desks as they will need to monitor the psychological state of the evacuees.

“We will monitor those who will need acute psychosocial first aid, especially those who lost their loved ones or their properties,” said Herbosa.

He said the evacuation centers will also be given adequate supply of medicines for chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, aside from other essential medicines.

Additionally, Herbosa said they will also be providing hygiene kits to the evacuees, including alcogel, sanitary napkins, soap, shampoo, and pale, as well as potable drinking water.

LEPTOSPIROSIS THREAT

Aside from diseases in evacuation centers, the health department said they are also preparing for the surge in leptospirosis cases.

Herbosa said seeing a surge in cases is almost a certainty considering the scenes seen during the flooding of Metro Manila on Wednesday.

“A week or two weeks later after wading or swimming in flood water, the hospitals will be filled with leptospirosis patients,” warned the health chief.

He appealed to local government officials to prohibit their constituents from turning floodwaters into swimming pools, saying that “flood water is not a swimming pool. We hope that our local officials will stop the people from swimming in flood water. Leptospirosis is preventable so let us stop them from swimming in flood water.”

The official also stressed that proper waste management is imperative as it will reduce the presence of rats, which carry the leptospirosis bacteria.

“Leptospirosis threat increases because of the presence of wastes. When there is garbage, the number of rodents increase,” said Herbosa.

On the other hand, the DOH head stressed that antibiotics are not magic pills against leptospirosis.

He said taking doxycycline depends on physicians who will prescribe the antibiotic as needed.

“It is very important not to self-medicate using doxycycline. A physician has to prescribe it,” he said.

He likewise warned drugstores and pharmacies against selling doxycycline sans the doctor’s prescription.

“Doxycycline is really a prescription drug. If they are caught by the Food and Drug Administration, they can lose their pharmacy licenses,” said Herbosa.

Leptospirosis is a disease caused by bacteria that is spread through the urine of infected animals that gets mixed in flood water or soil.

Leptospirosis symptoms include fever, vomiting, nausea, muscle pain, headache, pain in the calf muscles, reddish eyes, jaundice (yellowish body discoloration), dark-colored urine, light-colored stool, or low urine output.

Data from the DOH shows that there are 1,258 leptospirosis cases recorded from January 1 to July 13. — With Gerard Naval

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