Lacson proposes designating hospitals as evacuation center

Former Sen. Panfilo Lacson (inset) and Yolanda destruction. INQUIRER and AP FILE PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines – Rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson wants to designate hospitals as the primary evacuation center in case of calamities, saying it was the “most practical” choice over municipal halls and schools.

“It’s more expensive if we have three, let’s focus on making hospitals more resilient with stand-alone power [supply], a place to stock food, medicines, and relief goods,” Lacson said in an interview with reporters during the briefing for Philippines development partners on Reconstruction assistance on Yolanda at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Wednesday.

“It’s the most practical place to turn into an evacuation center because it’s already there, you just have to add some components, there are already doctors [who can be given] training [to improve their skills] on responding and reacting to calamities,” he said.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Rogelio Singson was looking at the municipal hall, hospitals, and school buildings as permanent evacuation centers, Lacson said.

But he suggested that hospitals are “more practical and doable” requiring just “changes to its design to enable it to be an evacuation center in case of calamities.”

Lacson said that the rehabilitation and reconstruction in Eastern Visayas could be an opportunity to be turned into a template that can be adopted in other provinces nationwide.

“We hope it can be adopted nationwide but let’s start with Eastern, Central, and Western Visayas,” Lacson said.

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