Marcos orders DOH to send medical teams to evacuation centers

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Thursday ordered the Department of Health (DOH) to send medical teams to the evacuation centers sheltering the victims of Typhoon Carina and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon or Habagat.

The President made the instruction in a situation briefing at Malacañang on Thursday as he noted that healthcare is often disregarded in evacuation operations.

"The next part of this is going to be healthcare. Kung minsan nakakalimutan 'yan. But those in the evacuated areas will need to, kailangan meron silang clinic sa bawat evacuation center or at least may umiikot na medical team," Marcos said.

(Sometimes healthcare is overlooked. But those in the evacuation areas need to have access to clinics or at least medical teams.)

"So the DOH is not here. Can we get that instruction out please. Tell the DOH that the evacuation centers, kailangan, lalo na 'yung mga bata, we have to give some medical kahit na 'yung mga BHW (Barangay Health Workers) lang nila muna hangga't makarating 'yung doktor doon," he added.

(Tell the DOH that evacuation centers need medical teams, even Barangay Health Workers at first until the doctor arrives.

Aside from this, Marcos also directed to prepare medicines for evacuees, particularly the over-the-counter drugs for fever, among others.

"The long-term problem usually 'pag may ganito is gamot (is medicine). So that's another thing we have to prepare with," he said.

"But the other medicines are the maintenance medicines ng mga senior kasi nahiwalay sila don sa kanilang supply, but that requires the prescription from a doctor," he added.

In the same briefing, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. reported to the President that as of 5 a.m. on Thursday, a total of 36,319 families or 149,006 individuals have been evacuated in Regions I, II, III, IVA, IVB,  Cordillera Administrative Region, and National Capital Region.

According to Abalos, most of the evacuated residents in NCR were recorded in Quezon City with around 22,000.

Typhoon Carina, which developed into super typhoon on Wednesday, left the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday morning. PAGASA, however, said that it will continue to enhance Habagat, which is expected to bring moderate to intense rains over the western section of Luzon. —KBK, GMA Integrated News