TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Nov. 27 (PNA) — Three weeks after super typhoon “Yolanda” ravaged this city, eight hospitals are now fully operational and are ready to treat various medical conditions.
DOH Assistant Secretary Paulyn Rosell-Ubial said of the eight hospitals, five are tertiary level, which offers operation services; and three primary level hospitals that accept outpatients but do not perform operations.
The five tertiary-level hospitals are: Eastern Visayas Medical Center, RTR Medical Center, St. Paul’s Hospital, Bethany Hospital and field hospitals of the Australians located near the airport.
The three primary-level hospitals, meanwhile, are the Mother of Mercy Hospital, Tacloban Doctors Hospital and Tacloban City Hospital.
For those patients who need major operations with sophisticated facilities, the DOH refers them to the Chinese hospital ship “Peace Ark”, which arrived in the country last Sunday.
“Now, we don’t need to airlift patients to Cebu and Manila if they need major operations,” Ubial said.
She noted medical practitioners and specialists from St. Lukes Hospital, Makati Medical Center and DOH hospitals in Manila have volunteered in some hospitals here to render medical aid to typhoon victims.
As of the latest report, Ubial said there were two persons who died due to neonatal tetanus.
“As much as possible, we refer all pregnant mothers to give birth in hospitals to avoid recorded two neonatal tetanus due to unsterile conditions,” she said.
The two pregnant women allegedly gave birth in a market place while the other in a house.
“I hope we can work together to move our pregnant women to safer facilities,” Ubial said.
Ubial also said that they have referred other tetanus cases outside Tacloban – two in Cebu and two in Manila.
She also reported one person who died due to leptospirosis and 13 other suspected cases.
Aside from tetanus, the DOH is also keeping tab on dengue cases.
“Tacloban is endemic to dengue. Since January to August, there are 3,000 reported dengue cases in Tacloban but now we have no reported case yet that’s why we are wary of it,” said Ubial.
The DOH has 12 fogging machines designed to kill adult mosquitoes. Three machines will be used in Tacloban and nine in Leyte.
The DOH also launched mass vaccination on measles here and in Leyte.
Ubial said the DOH medical teams are also ready to visit remote islands to distribute medicines and provide medical aid to typhoon victims. (PNA)