President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that the Department of Health (DOH) will deploy additional medical teams to bolster the healthcare workforce in the Bicol Region to respond to the aftermath of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine.
“That was the decision we made yesterday (Friday) when we had an overall meeting that DOH has to send medical teams,” Marcos said during a situation briefing in Naga City on Saturday.
Rosa Maria Rempillo, Assistant Regional Director of the DOH Bicol Center for Health Development (CHD), reported that public hospitals in the region are still functioning despite the flooding. However, some medical facilities in areas severely affected by STS Kristine require additional staff.
“We are requesting additional manpower for the Geriatric Medical Center kasi six days na pong straight yung mga tao natin dun,” said Rempillo.
Rempillo also mentioned that the DOH central office has committed to sending additional personnel to government hospitals in Bicol, including the Naga City Hospital.
In addition, Health Emergency Response Teams (HERTs) have been deployed to support operations at evacuation centers, with health workers now assigned to various sites to assist affected communities.
According to Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, the DOH is prepared to send the Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT) if the situation requires it.
Furthermore, the DOH allocated Php 142 million to assist victims of STS Kristine, with Php 97 million designated for the deployment of medical and public health emergency supplies to communities in need.
