DOH speeds up emergency medical team dev for 'Big One'

The Department of Health (DOH) is accelerating the development of world-class emergency medical response teams across the country to prepare for large-scale disasters like 'The Big One' earthquake in Metro Manila.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa highlighted the Philippines' quick deployment of the Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT) to Myanmar after an earthquake, demonstrating the country's readiness and capacity to respond effectively to major disasters.

Herbosa noted that PEMAT set up its operations faster than even wealthier ASEAN nations like Singapore within 48 hours of the disaster, showcasing the Filipino response team’s efficiency.

Currently, the Philippines has three WHO-certified emergency teams out of only 52 worldwide, and more are being developed in key regions such as Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The DOH aims to develop national-level PEMAT units for rapid deployment and is focusing on continued training, logistics support, and international certification to strengthen the country's disaster response capabilities.

Experts warn that a 7.2-magnitude earthquake along the West Valley Fault could lead to thousands of deaths and widespread damage to infrastructure in Metro Manila.