NAVAL, Biliran (PIA) – His experience with super typhoon Yolanda last year in November 8 and his being the top official of the provincial hospital in Biliran pushed him to set specific plan of action in preparation when disasters of the same gravity happen again in the island province.
“I thought of evacuating the patients of the Biliran provincial hospital (BPH) to Naval State University (NSU) gymnasium when some of its roofings were blown off by strong winds of Yolanda”, Dr. Edgar T. Veloso ,Biliran provincial health officer recounted.
Some of the roofings of the NSU gymnasium were also blown off by the strong winds of Yolanda and also causing heavy damage to other vital infrastructures in Naval like the Naval gymnasium and its public market.
“We have to make plan A, B or even plan C”, Veloso said to the members of the Biliran provincial nutrition committee (PNC) and to some health officials present during the provincial nutrition culmination program held recently at the BPH conference hall.
Veloso further said that the Biliran PNC, local government units and other government agencies should identify evacuation centers that are safe for the evacuees and where immediate assistance like food source especially vegetables are available.
He cited schools with gardens planted to different varieties of vegetables as ideal for an evacuation center.
Likewise mentioned was the creation of a team of first responders composed of personnel from the different concerned government agencies who will immediately provide interventions pertaining to health, shelter, food and other needs of the victims in the evacuation center.
“We should also intensify our campaign to inform the public on the preparations and things to be done in times of disaster and calamities” Veloso cited with respect to infants, children, pregnant women and the elderly, who are the considered the most vulnerable groups in times of disaster.
“If we fail to prepare, we are prepared to fail”, he said, referring his message not only to the attendees of the nutrition culmination program but to all government officials and policy-makers as well. (PIA8 Biliran)
Meanwhile, DPWH-BDEO reported that it has already achieved an over-all accomplishment of 51.67% of its 2014 infra projects as of June 30, 2014 based on the official newsletter of DPWH-BDEO “Biliranon” released in June 2014. (AJC/RSV/PIA8 Biliran)
