DOH to deploy 200 responders for ‘Traslacion’
The Department of Health (DOH) may deploy up to 200 health emergency responders for this year’s Feast of Jesus Nazareno procession in Manila on Jan. 9 while its hospitals in Metro Manila will be on standby to receive devotees who need medical assistance.
“For the feast day on Friday, we will have a deployment of 200 health emergency response team members from the DOH,” Health Assistant Secretary and DOH spokesperson Albert Domingo said in a radio interview on Sunday.
Domingo later clarified to the Inquirer that the count was an “estimated peak in deployment” for the annual “traslacion” as the number could change depending on operational needs.
Selected areas only
He added that the DOH will again issue another “code white alert,” but this time covering only its hospitals in the National Capital Region, in case of health emergencies due to the religious event. The last code white alert was raised nationwide during the recent holiday season in response to the anticipated rise in fireworks-related injuries.
“Our focus will shift to the Feast of the Nazarene. We will again raise a code white alert but it will not be nationwide. It will cover only the hospitals of the DOH in Metro Manila and the nearby regions of Central Luzon and southern Luzon,” Domingo said.
The alert status requires hospitals to be ready to respond to emergencies, this time for common health problems related to processions, such as high blood pressure, syncope or fainting, hypoglycemia, or worse, mass casualty events.
Domingo, however, advised pregnant women and those with heart and respiratory conditions not to join the traslacion. Devotees should also refrain from bringing their young children, he added.
But for those who are going, the DOH official offered the following tips: carry IDs for easy identification in case of emergencies; leave your valuables at home but bring water, maintenance medication (if applicable) and hand sanitizers; and wear a face mask, along with loose and comfortable clothing.
Devotees flocked by the hundreds to the first Sunday Mass for the year held at Quiapo Church in Manila, the home of Jesus Nazareno. As of 10 a.m., the crowd was estimated at around 8,000, according to the Station 3 of the Manila Police District. —WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH
