HEALTH SECTOR DURING THE ZAMBOANGA CITY CRISIS @ SEPTEMBER 2013

September 13, 2013: 

I heard Dr. Rodel Agbulos, Zamboanga City Health Officer at the Dateline Teleradyo GBPI TV-11 on his plans for addressing Public Health issues at the Joaquin R. Enriquez Memorial Stadium (Grandstand) where about 19,000 evacuees are now stationed and he mentioned that the JSOTF (Balikatan) have also extended their help in the health and social welfare aspect.

Then, I listened to Dr. Nimfa Torrizo, the very new Regional Director of the Department of Health - Center of Health Development Region IX at Dateline Teleradyo GBPI TV-11 on her updates of the Health Sector during the Zamboanga City Crisis.

#Zamboanga City Crisis / #MNLF Stand-off

RD N. Torrizo has now shared with the community on what the DOH is doing for the Zamboanga Crisis 2013 including the following:

    1)   Operations Center is at the DOH-CHD IX at the Upper Calarian and calls are directed there with these numbers (062) 983-0934/991-3380/992-27451; 

   2)    Zamboanga City Medical Center  (now turned into the military operations center) moved to the WMSU gym where treatment for patients is ongoing; 

ZCMC now at the WMSU gym  (photo credit: Dr. George Rojo)

   3)   the Mindanao Central Sanitarium under Dr. Alfonso Montuno is also preparing the hospital especially for Surgical cases

Dr. Al Montuno, Chief of the Mindanao Central Sanitarium, where Surgical cases are sent, coordinates with Atty. Jhihann Natividad of Ciudad Medical Zamboanga for some resources which may be needed including sterilization of instruments.

   3)  Coordination with the City Health Office under Dr. Rodel Agbulos and DSWD for the health conditions of the evacuees at the Joaquin Enriquez stadium (Grandstand) and other designated evacuation centers.

   4)   that the Private Hospitals can now be tapped for patients supposed to be for the admission to the Zamboanga City Medical Center 

there is a memorandum from the department of health-center for health development ix (doh-chd ix) signed by dr. nimfa b. torrizo and dated september 11, 2013 on philhealth payment coverage for all wounded victims and all other cases secondary to the zamboanga city – mnlf standoff.

   5)  Team of physicians (mostly Surgical Team) coming from Davao City tomorrow to augment the present team of ZCMC physicians.

   6)   DOH Secretary Enrique One is at the helm of the situation and will send one of his undersecretaries  to come over.

   7)  More resources from the DOH-CHD are coming via C130 to replenish stocks.

The end of the Zamboanga Crisis is still obscure, but with the partnership of the Public and Private Sector in times of dire need, there is great hope for the Zamboanga City community!