‘Special clinic for depressed Yolanda victims needed in Tacloban’

MANILA, Philippines - A medical official in Tacloban City on Friday urged the government to establish a clinic that would solely address the seeming rising number of Yolanda survivors suffering from severe depression.

Dr. Wilfredo Liao, medical director of the Dona Remedios Trinidad Romualdez (RTR) Meidcal Foundation, said that one of the patients they have since Yolanda struck the city committed suicide by setting himself on fire using gasoline.

"Ang sabi ng victim suicide," Liao said, referring to their conversation with the victim who eventually died because half of his body suffered severe burn wounds.

He said they also have patients who attempted to commit suicide by slashing their wrists.

“They said it had to do with a family problem but when we talk of family problems, it could mean a variety of things. It could involve problems with shelter, food and money. These may have piled up,” Liao said.

He said several survivors of the typhoon can be seen wandering around the city's downtown and they seem to be suffering from depression or worse mental disorders.

"If you go around, kayo na ang makakapagsabi," Liao told reporters.

He said these people should be put in a "controlled facility" and they should be separated from the other type of patients.

The city government said that its own team has been conducting stress debriefings on the survivors of the super typhoon, which struck the city and a large part of Eastern Visayas in November 8 last year.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development has also been conducting stress debriefings in several areas devastated by the super typhoon.