US aid group to help rebuild health facilities

CEBU, Philippines - A US-based non-government organization will help in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of health facilities in northern Cebu and other typhoon-stricken areas.

However, Riaz Khalil, Manager for Emergency Response for Americares, said for the meantime, Tacloban City is their priority.

“In the later part, yes, we will be making an assessment for Cebu but in the meantime, our focus is Tacloban,” he said.

Khalil said the Americares team brought in more than $2 million worth of medicines and supplies for use in storm-affected areas wherein $175,000 of this was given to Cebu.

He said that Americares and its partner, Hope Worldwide, has provided hygiene kits and shelter supplies to 10,000 people in northern Cebu.

“We are working with Region-7 Department of Health to provide another $500,000 worth of medicines and supplies for affected areas of northern Cebu,” said Khalil during the press briefing yesterday made by the Philippine Information Agency-7 at the MIP Lounge of Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base.

He said that during their first week of response, Americares provided critical medicines and supplies to the hospital located in the said air base.

Khalil added that so far, Americares has provided $5.5 million worth of medicines and relief supplies and committed over $250,000 in grant funding for the Yolanda response effort, pledging to serve affected areas until 2015.

He further said that they have provided assistance to rural health units, hospitals and responding organizations in Cebu, Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar, Capiz, Palawan and other affected provinces.

Khalil said their focus is to provide medicines and supplies, work with local institutions to help restore and expand healthcare services in affected areas, rehabilitate or facilitate reconstruction of health facilities and address the psychosocial and mental health needs of displaced and returning survivors.

“In the longer term, we hope to work with the Filipino government and local institutions to improve health system resilience and local preparedness to respond to future emergencies,” he said.

Americares is a US-based non-profit emergency response and global health organization and has been giving humanitarian aid in the Philippines for the past 28 years.   (FREEMAN)