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Marikina, Pasig hospitals ink earthquake response pact with DOH


Private and public hospitals in Marikina and Pasig cities inked with the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday a Memorandum of Agreement on a comprehensive earthquake vulnerability reduction and response plan. The agreement was made because the recent Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study indicated that Metro Manila is at risk of experiencing a 7.2-magnitude earthquake. The agreement binds the hospitals and the DOH to assist one another by:

  • sharing knowledge and technical skills on earthquake disaster preparedness, and
  • providing resources to member-areas that will be greatly affected by an earthquake and will have difficulty in coping with the situation. Japan's disaster-preparedness In a press briefing after the signing of the agreement on Monday, Health Undersecretary Dr. David Lozada said hospitals in the Philippines should pattern their disaster protocols after Japan's. He said the first vital disaster response is to minimize trauma and loss of lives. In case of emergency, patients must be transported quickly and safely to the nearest medical facility, Lozada said. He said the DOH has already identified the hospitals that can help one another during times of crises. Former health secretary and The Medical City President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Alfredo Bengzon said hospitals should hold "rehearsals" where doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff practice the disaster response to ensure patients' safety when a big earthquake occurs. The initial agreement only includes hospitals from Pasig and Marikina cities, but Lozada said the DOH is working on including all Metro Manila cities in the long run. Structural integrity of hospitals DOH-Health Emergency Management Services Director Dr. Carmencita Banatin said the health department has put together assessment tools that will look into the structural and functional integrity of public and private hospitals in the country. She also said the DOH has started inspecting the structural soundness of 25 hospitals in Metro Manila and will continue to inspect hospitals in Luzon in the next months. Banatin added that the DOH is working with hospitals to ensure that when a hospital building collapses during an earthquake, the staff can still continue functioning. She said the doctors and other health professionals should know not to stop giving emergency aid even if the hospital structure collapses. Alternative route Meanwhile, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino said the MMDA has identified the Pasig River as an alternative route in case an earthquake renders major thoroughfare in Metro Manila useless. He said hospitals near the Pasig River were also identified to make sure these are ready to respond when other hospitals around the metro are inaccessible. He said a study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) showed that after a major earthquake, the roads may be blocked by over 33 million tons of debris, which will give ambulances a hard time to traverse roads. Tolentino said the MMDA has identified four golf courses in Metro Manila that may serve as major evacuation centers in case of an earthquake. The following golf courses are:
  • Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong;
  • Club Intramuros Golf Course in Manila;
  • Veterans Golf Course in Quezon City; and
  • Villamor Golf Course in Pasay City. He added that an area along Balintawak-Cloverleaf in Quezon City may be used to store debris while a portion of Macapagal Avenue from Parañaque to Pasay City may be used as a mass burial site. – VVP, GMA News
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