Accident can happen anytime, anywhere. Even emergency centers such as hospitals are prone to disasters such as fire and earthquake. When faced with critical situations, people quickly respond to emergencies based on how they were trained. The reason why the provincial disaster risk reduction management council (PDRRMC) is regularly conducting annual emergency drills to measure the readiness of district and provincial hospitals and other establishments in the province.
Emergency exercises are a very essential part of any disaster and crisis plan. It will help the management to discover and update the weaknesses of their emergency plan to reach the maximum level of effectiveness.
In coordination with Philippine National Red Cross, Center for Health and Development 3, Bureau of Fire and Protection and Office of the Civil Defense, PDRRMC gauged the alertness of the management and staff of Diosdado P. Macapagal Memorial Hospital in a fire and earthquake drill with the theme “Alerto, Handa sa Anumang Sakuna”.
Under the activity, simulation exercises included different scenarios such as injured staffs, blocked exits, civilian and patients in panic, evacuation of uninjured people and the like.
The hospital issued duck and cover command wherein the staff were instructed to evacuate the establishment heads down, hand clasped over the neck and head, or covered with books to protect the vulnerable parts of the body while emergency response teams demonstrated the first aid interventions and emergency responses during critical scenarios.
Michael Dumlao, an OCD representative, said the hospital showed commitment in protecting its employees and patients from any untoward incident that may be brought about by calamities, including earthquakes and fire.
Dumlao also noted the existence of a hospital disaster management unit, which is necessary to provide immediate response during calamities.
The event also aims to evaluate the preparedness, logistics and capability of the hospital in handling disaster situations. ●JENNA LUMBANG
