DOH puts hospitals in Region 7 on Code White alert

MEDICAL staff in all hospitals in Region 7 will be put on Code White alert, which will require doctors and nurses to be ready for any emergencies starting March 28 until April 25.

This is part of the Department of Health’s preparations for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit meetings to be held in Cebu on April 3 to April 7 and in Bohol on April 18 to 22.

Dr. Expedito Medalla, head of Taskforce Medical of DOH-7, said 31 medical personnel would also be on standby in the different venues and hotels where the ministers, senior officials and the technical working group would be having their meetings.

Medalla said he would ask for more personnel from the other regions to augment their personnel here.

“Thirty-one personnel are needed, naghangyo mi sa ubang region for augmentation from NCR (National Capital Region), Mindanao ug Cagayan.

Unsay requirements (from National organizing committee) ato i-fill up, ang ato gud pud personnel will not be there 24 hours for several days, there should be backup, so daghan kinahanglan (Thirty-one personnel are needed so we will request for personnel from other regions to augment our personnel. We will try to implement the 24-hour on-duty personnel, and we would need backup personnel to achieve this condition),” he said.

Aside from that, Medalla said they would also need 30 ambulances for Cebu and Bohol to be put on standby and to respond immediately during emergencies.

A team of toxicologists from the national office would also be brought in Cebu and Bohol to ensure the safety of the food being served to the delegates, said Medalla.