PH medical team deploys to Myanmar for earthquake relief

A team of 18 medical personnel from the Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC) was deployed to Myanmar on April 1 as part of the Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT).

This deployment is part of the Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent to provide aid after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand on March 28.

The EVMC team is one of three PEMAT groups recognized by the World Health Organization, alongside teams from Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Jose B. Lingad Memorial Hospital.

The EVMC contingent, led by Dr. Ma. Ivy Lozada, includes doctors, nurses, a medical technologist, a pharmacist, a physical therapist, a midwife, nursing attendants, logistics, administrative, finance staff, and a social worker.

A separate Philippine medical team, also part of PEMAT, treated 94 patients in Pyinmana from April 3 to April 4, including earthquake-related cases.

The Department of Health (DOH) is prepared to send additional medical teams if requested by Myanmar, with Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo stating the department is on call.