TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Health(DOH) in Eastern Visayas in coordination with the Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC), has deployed on Oct.29, a specialized team of 18 healthcare professionals to the Bicol Region to support the local response following the devastation of Tropical Storm Kristine.
The team, led by Dr. Brian Marmita of the Eastern Visayas Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT), is composed of doctors, nurses, and allied health workers ready to assist in areas most affected by the storm.
Their primary destination is Naga City General Hospital, where they will join Health Emergency Response Teams (HERTs) already on the ground, working around the clock to address the urgent health needs of the impacted communities, the DOH-8 said in a statement.
Equipped with essential medical supplies and resources, the EVMC team aims to provide immediate care, manage injuries, prevent potential disease outbreaks, and deliver critical healthcare services to those in dire need.
For DOH-8 and EVMC, this deployment highlights a strong commitment to inter-regional solidarity and rapid emergency response, ensuring that critical healthcare resources reach communities most affected by crises.
Working alongside local HERTs, the EVMC team is reinforcing the resilience and responsiveness of the country’s healthcare system in times of emergency.
Also helping in the rescue operations were members of the 8th Infantry Division which dispatched 20 of its personnel and were deployed in Camarines Sur to distribute much-needed relief supplies to communities affected by recent calamities.
The soldiers brought with them 1,400 food packs, 1,400 boxes of drinking water, and 1,000 boxes of biscuits to barangays in Minalabac, a statement from the 8th Infantry Division based in Catbalogan City, Samar, said.
Altogether, the task force has provided 1,300 units of drinking water, 100 family water filtration units, and 3,481 non-food items to families displaced by the storm.
Brigadier General Perfecto Peñaredondo, the acting commander of the 8ID, reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to relief efforts. “We stand with our communities in these challenging times, working hand in hand with local governments to deliver essential support,” he stated.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA/LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
