DOH sends more medical supplies, personnel to Taal-hit areas

The Department of Health (DOH) has intensified its response to the Taal Volcano eruption by sending additional medical supplies and personnel to affected regions.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III announced that drugs, medicines such as eye drops and asthma medication, medical supplies including N95 and surgical face masks, collapsible water containers, water purification tablets, and hygiene kits have been dispatched to Calabarzon and the National Capital Region.

The DOH central office has been placed on Code White Alert to ensure seamless coordination with agencies like the NDRRMC and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, while the DOH Center for Health Development Region 4A and its hospitals were on Code Blue Alert.

During the Code White Alert, all hospital personnel are on standby for immediate deployment if necessary, and during the Code Blue Alert, half of all hospital personnel are required to report for duty.

DOH personnel have been deployed to 139 evacuation centers, where they will continue to conduct rapid health assessments in affected municipalities.

The DOH also activated the Health Response Cluster, conducted disease surveillance, and procured N95 masks and medicines for respiratory ailments.

The DOH advises individuals with asthma to use N95 masks, while others can opt for dust or surgical masks to protect against respiratory illnesses caused by ashfall.