The Department of Health (DOH) has assured communities affected by this week's earthquakes that all DOH hospitals in the Davao Region remain safe and fully operational. Three DOH hospitals serve the region: Southern Philippines Medical Center, Davao Regional Medical Center, and Davao Occidental General Hospital (DOGH). All continue to provide uninterrupted care.
DOGH Continuity Plan Activated
DOGH Medical Center Chief Dr. Glinard Quezada emphasized that the facility has activated its continuity of operations plan to ensure safe and uninterrupted care. During earthquakes, the Outpatient Department staff follow standard protocols, including the Drop, Cover, and Hold On procedure.
“After the tremors, we secured the area and triage evacuated patients based on injury severity. We also go the extra mile in communicating dos and don’ts to patients through our health educators. Patients and visitors were calmly guided to nearest emergency exits for safe passage,” Dr. Quezada said.
Mental Health Support and Daily Operations
The hospital's mental health clinic operates continuously with a dedicated mental health and psychosocial support team, providing psychological first aid to employees, patients, and watchers. Over the past week, DOGH set up an outpatient area on safe ground and maintained patient tracking through manual logbooks, serving an average of 170 patients per day. The facility currently cares for over 50 admitted patients and 10 undergoing hemodialysis, all receiving uninterrupted care.
Deployed Health Workers Respond
DOH has directed 126 medical professionals already deployed in Davao Occidental to respond to needs in their areas and evacuation centers. These personnel include nurses, dentists, nutritionists, medical technologists, physical therapists, and midwives, operating under the National Health Workforce Support System. Common cases in evacuation centers include open wounds, panic attacks, hypertension, body pains, headaches, and vertigo.
DOH-Davao raised a code white alert on June 8 and initiated response efforts and resource deployment. The agency continues to coordinate with local government units and health workers to report and respond to incidents and health emergencies.
