News
10/05/2013: DOH: Regional health facilities, hospitals on code white alert for Monday’s elections
A May 10, 2013, press release from the Department of Health
Secretary of Health Enrique T. Ona today ordered the Department of Health (DOH) regional health offices and hospitals to be on Code White alert to continuously monitor events in their respective areas for the country’s elections on Monday, May 13.
“In anticipation of any eventualities that may occur during the 2013 National Elections the Code White Alert is raised in all DOH regional offices and hospitals effective May 12, Sunday,” Ona declared.
The health chief added that regional directors of these health facilities are encouraged to be vigilant and to send flash reports of any reportable incident to the DOH-Health Emergency Management Staff’s Operations Center (OpCen) at telephone numbers 711-1001 and 711-1002.
Ona said the DOH-HEMS OpCen will do active monitoring of all health emergencies nationwide and shall coordinate with other key agencies responding to this kind of situation. Also, they are ready to provide material and logistical support to the regional health offices and hospitals, which may need them.
Code White Alert is adopted for national events, such as the 2013 National Elections, with potential for mass casualty incidents. It also means that a hospital’s emergency medicines, especially trauma, are fully stocked and made available at the emergency room.
Under the Code White Alert, medicines and supplies in the operating rooms should likewise be reviewed and increased to meet sudden requirements, and other needs such as X-ray plates, laboratory requirements, and others should be made available and not required to be purchased by victims. Also, Regional offices are prepared to assist in any evacuation of the population in their areas.
Meanwhile, Secretary Ona also advised the public to avoid staying too long under the sun and bring drinking water with them when they go to polling places to avoid heat stroke.
“The summer heat is still intense and the public would do well to take these precautionary measures while exercising their right to vote,” he concluded.
