The Philippines now has a world-class, World Health Organization-certified/verified Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team that can effectively respond to disasters here and abroad, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Tuesday.
A composite medical assistance team, sent by the Philippine government to Myanmar following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake, was presented to the public during a press briefing in Malacañang. Majority of the team members are from the Eastern Visayas region.
“This is a Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team na WHO classified or certified/verified na last September lang tayo na-verify. Medyo mga pitong taon kaming nagti-training. We have three of these teams out of 52 in the world so medyo world-class na rin tayo pagdating sa disaster,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said during the briefing.
“Nagamit din natin iyong team nila, iyong mga nakaraang Northern Luzon bagyo. But this is the first time we’ve actually deployed it internationally since the September verification and iyong award noong aming certificate last November sa Abu Dhabi,” he said.
Herbosa said the Philippines is proud to deploy the team within 48 hours, faster than Singapore, Southeast Asia’s most well-off country. The team was also able to set up a field hospital in six hours.
Aside from the Philippines, Japan, Singapore, and Indonesia also sent their respective medical teams.
Currently there are teams in several parts of the country —one in Central Luzon, one in Metro Manila and one in the Visayas region, Herbosa said.
The DOH is also developing teams in Southern Philippines Medical Center and Cotabato Regional Medical Center for Mindanao, Herbosa said.
He added that they are planning to establish more medical responders all over the country.
“Ang plan namin is also to develop team for national level para mabilis na rin kaming mag-deploy. ‘Pag nag-umpisa na naman tayo ng ulan at bagyo at baha, we will be using this Philippine emergency medical teams,” he said.
The Philippine team provided medical services to people affected by the 7.7 magnitude tremor that hit Myanmar. The team was able to provide adequate support and relief in 10 days of the 14 day-deployment.
Aside from the medical responders, Herbosa said the Philippines also sent a six-man team for psychosocial support of Filipinos based in Yangon.
“So, may psychosocial team ako from National Center for Mental Health that are there processing our citizens na medyo affected by the disaster in Myanmar. So, tuloy iyong assistance,” he added. | PND
