Doctors’ group forms team to help ‘Sendong’ victims

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Medical Association said on Tuesday, it would be dispatching doctors, specialists and other medical workers to disaster-hit areas in the coming days to provide  physical and psychological treatment to the victims of tropical storm “Sendong”.

Dr. Mike Aragon, the PMA spokesman, said they would mobilize some 150 to 250 medical professionals under the group’s project “Oplan: Doc Santa” to help the physically injured and mentally traumatized survivors and other victims of the storm.

“Sendong stole Christmas from the typhoon victims. We will try to bring it back,” Aragon told reporters.

The PMA is the largest organization of medical professionals in the country.

The medical teams will be composed of general practitioners, psychiatrists, psychological counselors, dentists, nurses, midwives and optometrists. The humanitarian group will also be accompanied by music bands and movie stars who will cheer up evacuees.

Aragon said the PMA has planned to send the team by Christmas Day, depending on the situation on the ground, adding, “We’re still finalizing our plans with our multi-sectoral partners to do a massive, sustainable medical, surgical, dental, psychosocial and optical missions for the storm victims,” he said.

The government, private sector and overseas aid groups have been intensifying the humanitarian effort to help residents in areas hardest hit by Sendong, particularly Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities, and Negros Oriental.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said 63,079 families or more than 338,000 people in 260 barangay (villages), 30 municipalities and cities, and 13 provinces in eight regions were affected by the storm.

Aid workers are serving 9,743 families or nearly 43,000 people in 62 evacuation centers.

The storm killed 957 people and injured 1,562. There are still 49 missing people while rescued survivors numbered 432.