DOH deploys PEMAT to Myanmar after magnitude 7.7 quake

Three Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Teams (PEMATs) are prepared to assist in post-earthquake response efforts in Myanmar following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake, with the DOH officially deploying PEMAT at 4 a.m. on Tuesday, April 1.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa instructed the PEMATs to be on standby for deployment once coordination protocols with affected countries are finalized and a request is received; the team departed aboard a C-130 aircraft.

The DOH previously deployed PEMAT members to Turkey after an earthquake in 2023, and recently, Eastern Visayas Medical Center also organized its own team.

All three PEMATs are classified as Type 1 Fixed EMTs capable of providing acute trauma care during daylight hours and conducting health investigations or community-based primary care; the WHO awarded the WHO EMT badge to PEMAT Metro Manila, PEMAT Luzon, and PEMAT Visayas following a verification visit in September 2024.

The team will spend 18 days in Myanmar delivering medical aid to earthquake survivors as part of a mission led by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), equipped with doctors, nurses, and other health professionals for various medical services including pediatric care and trauma management.