DOH: Kanlaon evacuees need proper ventilation amid heat
BACOLOD CITY – As summer approaches and heat levels rise, the Department of Health (DOH) has instructed camp managers composed of government personnel to ensure proper ventilation in shelters for residents displaced by the unrest of Mt. Kanlaon on Negros Island.
Dr. Nikka Hao, regional director of the DOH-Negros Island Region, said ventilation could be improved by opening windows and using fans.
“We have instructed camp managers to check on ventilation,” she said in an interview on March 12.
In La Castellana town, Negros Occidental, some families housed in tents were relocated to shaded areas with more trees.
Hao said they currently have two heat-related cases involving elderly persons suffering from headaches or dizziness.
“They were seen by deployed health personnel in evacuation centers and referred to hospitals for workup. They are stable and not severe cases,” Hao said.
On Saturday, the temperature on Negros Island peaked at 31 degree Celsius, record from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration showed.
Hao also said they have no reported issues on water supply or water shortage, an important service to ensure evacuees stay hydrated, have enough supply for cooking and bathing, and to maintain sanitation in shelters.
“But our teams are on alert to monitor possible health impacts if these happen – like food and water borne diseases (and) dengue (incidents),” she said.
Hao said the public, not just those in evacuation centers, should avoid being exposed to extreme heat.
Advisory
People need to stay indoors or in shaded areas as much as possible between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and use umbrellas, hats and protective clothing if they go out, Hao said.
“They should drink plenty of clean and potable water and wear lightweight and loose clothing,” she added.
Hao said those suffering from the heat should apply wet towels on their foreheads, necks, heads, armpits, groins or take showers to lower their body temperature.
Those experiencing dizziness, dehydration, heat rashes, edema, cramps, exhaustion, and heat stroke should go to the nearest health facility.
“Children and elderly who are the most vulnerable should be closely monitored,” Hao said.
Thousands of residents from Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental living within the 6-kilometer danger zone of Mt. Kanlaon were relocated to government shelters following the volcano’s eruption on Dec. 9 last year.
Most have been prohibited from returning home amid the continued restiveness exhibited by the volcano, which remains under Alert Level 3 (magmatic unrest).
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, in a bulletin at 12 a.m. on Saturday, said Mt. Kanlaon’s edifice remained inflated and has recorded 10 volcanic earthquakes over the last 24 hours.
At present, there are still 8,403 displaced residents in 22 evacuation centers on Negros Island and 11,579 others staying with relatives outside evacuation centers, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
