Gov’t needs P1.4 B to repair damaged health facilities

MANILA, Philippines - The government needs some P1.4 billion to repair typhoon-damaged health facilities and to prevent the outbreak of disease in areas affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona said yesterday that the typhoon damaged 432 government-run health facilities in Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas.

“Total damage to government health facilities due to Yolanda is estimated to hit P1.17 billion,” Ona noted.

He said the Department of Health (DOH) also needs P17.6 million for maintenance medications for typhoon victims who are suffering from hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.

“About P29 million will also be needed to vaccinate senior citizens against influenza and pneumococcal disease, while another P6.48 million will be for essential medicine and supplies for primary care,” he said.

Ona also reported that the DOH has recorded a total of 70,056 consultations with 2,794 typhoon victims admitted to different health facilities as of Nov. 27.

The top five consultations were for victims of trauma and typhoon-related injuries, respiratory tract infection, acute gastroenteritis, hypertension and diabetes, and skin disease.

About 835 patients from Tacloban City were referred either to hospitals in Cebu or Manila.

According to Ona, 172 medical teams from the DOH, foreign countries and non-government organizations have been deployed to typhoon-affected areas.

The DOH and the World Health Organization have started its expanded program on immunization against polio and measles, and distribution of Vitamin A, micronutrient supplements, oral rehydration salts, and zinc syrup for children.

Ona said about 4,000 emergency delivery kits and iron supplementation for pregnant and post-partum women are also needed, as well as insecticide to prevent dengue and chikungunya in evacuation centers.

The health chief said the government is exerting all efforts to bring back normalcy in typhoon-affected areas.

Reconstruction projects

Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson urged contractors yesterday to hire local workers for reconstruction projects in storm-ravaged areas.

“See to it that the private contractors must utilize local labor, especially those affected by these calamities, to enable them to bounce back to their normal lives,” Singson said.

The directive was relayed to Department of Public Works and Highways regional directors and district engineers, who are now temporarily assigned to oversee the construction of temporary shelters for typhoon victims in Eastern Visayas.

Singson said the construction of bunkhouses has started in Tacloban City and Palo, Leyte; Basey and Marabut in Samar.

The DPWH said these bunkhouses are made of coco lumber wooden frames,

GI sheet roofing, plywood walls and flooring, and cement footing.

A bunkhouse will be composed of 24 units. Each unit can accommodate five families and have a common toilet, wash area and kitchen.

Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje said that his office has sent three teams to draw up plans for the rehabilitation of areas ravaged by the typhoon.

“There are already DENR people on the ground who initially will conduct inspection and proceed to work so that rehabilitation is already underway,” said Paje.

About 80 percent of the P347-million allocation by the government for the restoration of mangrove and natural beach forests in damaged coastal areas will be used for the cash-for-work program for typhoon survivors.

The latter will take part in seedling production, planting site preparation, actual planting and maintenance of mangrove and beach forest areas, the DENR chief noted.

He said this massive coastal rehabilitation program shall cover areas in the Eastern Visayas region, particularly the province of Leyte and its capital Tacloban City. “Tacloban is a major concern given its being a major population center, but the undertaking will cover practically the entire eastern seaboard of Eastern Visayas,” Paje added. – With Aie Balagtas See, Rhodina Villanueva