DOH ready for New Year revelry; hospitals on code white alert

The Department of Health (DOH) has assured the public that hospitals in the country are equipped and ready ahead of the New Year revelry and the expected turnout of firecracker-related injuries in welcoming 2016.

Health Secretary Janette Garin on Thursday led the department’s hospital rounds in the metropolis to ensure that they are on standby in accommodating and treating patients overnight.

Garin and her team inspected Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRMMC) and Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila, and East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) in Quezon City.

Garin said code white alert has been raised in hospitals all over the country since Dec. 21, meaning that medical staff are under on-call status for immediate response and mobilization.

”Ang ibig sabihin kasi ng code white lahat ng mga empleyado, medical and para-medical personnel, naka standby. Pwede kang i-pull out o tawagin anytime pero yung kalahati nun nandito pa rin sa hospital. So merong mga nagdu-duty, pero ‘yung mga off-duty pwedeng tawagin anytime,” Garin told reporters in an ambush interview.

”Basically chinecheck natin sa hospital yung preparation, kumpleto ba yung mga gamit,“ she added. ”Gamit, gamot, space, at tao.“

Garin said hospitals were prepared to admit all victims of firecracker-related injuries, but expressed hope that cases would not further increase come January 1.

“Nakita naman natin na preparado ang ating mga hospital in terms of manpower and drugs. Pero di naman ibig sabihin na nakahanda yung mga gamit natin eh magagamit ito, sana po hindi ito magamit,“ Garin said.

(We see to it that our hospitals are prepared in terms of manpower and drugs. But even though all of our equipment are ready, we hope we won’t use them.)

”Handa po ang ating mga ospital na tanggapin ang lahat ng mga pasyente, pero ipinagdadasal po natin na wala nang maputukan,“ she added.

(Our hospitals are ready to accept patients but we are praying no one won’t get hurt by firecrackers [and other New Year’s eve-related incidents]).

JRMMC is ready for firecracker-related injuries, with stationed treatment, soaking, and surgery areas in the hospital. PGH, meanwhile, have separate stations for emergent, urgent, and ambulatory cases, and an acute care unit extension.

EAMC said it is ready both in terms of manpower and infrastructure, noting that 90 percent of doctors are on duty. TVJ

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