P10-M med supplies deployed in Luzon ahead of ‘Uwan’
More than P10 million worth of medical supplies are being deployed across Luzon, ahead of the much-anticipated impact of Severe Tropical Storm “Uwan” (international name Fung-wong).
The Department of Health (DOH) said it is on heightened alert to respond to the health needs of communities that may be affected by the storm, which will be referred to as Uwan by Friday night, when it will have entered the Philippine area of responsibility.
Weather bureau Pagasa (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) said Fung-wong has a diameter of about 1,400 kilometers and maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour.
By late Sunday or early Monday, the storm is expected to make landfall in Isabela or Aurora province, possibly escalating into a supertyphoon.
Medical kits
The deployed supplies include medicines for cough, fever and maintenance, antibiotics, hygiene kits and containers of potable water.
The agency distributed Campolas kits, which stand for and contain cotrimoxazole, amoxicillin, mefenamic acid, paracetamol, oral rehydration salts, lagundi, vitamin A and skin ointments.
Health emergency response teams and DOH hospitals have also been placed on standby for deployment to areas where severe weather conditions may be anticipated.
The public is urged to observe safety protocols and prepare emergency kits as the storm continues to move closer to the Luzon landmass in the coming days.
Monitoring of evacuees
Meanwhile, DOH 8 (Eastern Visayas) said it is monitoring the conditions of about 17,000 evacuees in the region to prevent the spread of illnesses in evacuation centers, following the recent onslaught of Typhoon “Tino” (Kalmaegi).
In a Facebook post on Friday, the DOH unit said its medical response and monitoring are focused on the provinces of Biliran, Leyte and Samar, where the majority of the evacuees are seeking shelter, in coordination with provincial and city health offices.
Medical teams have also been deployed to conduct daily health assessments and field validations to detect and respond to cases of fever, cough, colds, leptospirosis and other common infections in crowded shelters.
More medicines, hygiene kits and medical supplies are being mobilized to meet the needs of affected local government units, the regional office said.
The Center for Health Development of DOH 7 (Central Visayas) has activated its Health Emergency Operations Center to maintain a 24-hour medical response in the provinces of Bohol and Cebu. —WITH A REPORT FROM PNA
