Hospitals in Metro Manila on ‘code white alert’

MANILA, Philippines — Hospitals all over Metro Manila were placed on Code White Alert Friday, ahead of All Saints’ Day, said Director Eduardo Janairo of the Department of Health Center for Health Development in Metro Manila (DOH-CHD-MM).

Janairo said that the alert would ensure that health facilities, medicine as well as medical personnel were prepared for emergencies. He also reminded health workers of their duties “to take appropriate action and provide emergency assistance and related services to those who will need it.”

He said that just like law enforcers, they also have “Oplan Kaluluwa” in which hospitals were required to “serve 24/7… We have a long weekend ahead of us that’s why we have deployed emergency medical response teams and health services ready to accept patients in case [they are]needed.”

Janairo said that CHD would conduct active surveillance through their Health Emergency Management Staff (HEMS) Coordinators and Department of Health Representatives (DOHREP) who have been assigned to local government units.

Aside from an Incident Command System, Medical/Trauma Response Team, and ambulances and medical supplies in the hospitals, Janairo said that they also had a Crisis Management Team, three Rapid Assessment Teams, five Medical and Public Health Teams, a Surveillance Team, a Nutrition Team, two Water and Sanitation Teams, and a Health Education and Promotion Team.

He said teams were prepared for deployment in case of emergencies and encouraged the public to report these to the nearest hospital for immediate medical response.