DOH: Hospitals on 'Code White Alert' until January 4

The Department of Health (DOH) has placed all public and private hospitals, health facilities, and DOH offices on Code White Alert starting Friday, December 29, until January 4, 2024.

“Under orders of President Marcos, the DOH and all hospitals and health facilities will be ready for all untoward incidents this Christmas and New Year season. However, the best cure is still to prevent such incidents, especially trauma, from even happening,” the DOH said.

Under a Code White Alert, all hospitals are required to use their respective Operations Center (OPCEN) and continuously provide reports and coordinate with DOH’s regional and central office OPCENs.

Code White Alert also entails additional deployment of financial resources, doctors, and nurses.

“Ang Pasko at Bagong taon ay parehong national holidays na may potensyal magresulta sa mass casualty incidents na may 10 o higit pang pagkamatay o kaya’y pagkasugat kaya’t kinakailangan ang deklarasyon ng Code White Alert,” added the DOH.

(Christmas and New Year’ Day are both national holidays that could potentially result in mass casualty incidents of 10 or more people dead or injured, so there is a need to declare a Code White Alert.)

DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa, meanwhile, reiterated the agency’s call to the public to shun firecrackers and not drive when drunk.

“Let us all help each other and welcome the New Year happy and healthy together,” Herbosa, also a trauma surgeon, said.

A total of 96 fireworks-related injuries have now been reported nationwide as of Friday, December 29, 2023.

Most of these cases were reported in the National Capital Region with 33, followed by Central Luzon and Ilocos with 12 each. –Llanesca T. Panti / VAL, GMA Integrated News