Vital Support for Damaged Health Care Facilities in the Philippines

AmeriCares emergency medical aid, power generators and other humanitarian support are reaching health facilities in the Philippines damaged by Typhoon Rammasun. When the Category 3 typhoon struck in July, it left nearly 100 dead, destroyed homes, displaced hundreds of thousands of families and left millions without power.

As damaged health facilities work to restore services amid prolonged power outages, AmeriCares has supplied four emergency power generators to extensively damaged health units in a province south of Manila. At the same time, our partner in country is distributing medicines and supplies including water purification tablets, medicines for respiratory infections, asthma, and diarrhea to health facilities in the area.

Blood Service Facility receives a generator to run vital functions during power outages.

In addition, our shipment of over $400,000 of medicines and medical supplies has arrived in Manila. The shipment includes respiratory medicines, wound care supplies, pediatric medicines and baby care products to support provincial and district hospitals, as well as local health centers treating survivors. We are also supporting the purchase and distribution of basic hygiene supplies for an estimated 4,000 survivors.  

Paul Gwyn Pagaran, AmeriCares emergency response and recovery coordinator in the Philippines, has been assessing the health needs in affected areas and reports significant damage to health centers and hospitals is hampering the delivery of health care in the hardest-hit areas. He is working closely with a partner organization in country to distribute medicines and supplies from AmeriCares.

“The situation has been made worse due to power outages, resulting in the absence of water and the inability to perform surgery and other medical procedures in some health facilities,” Pagaran said from the field. “With the generators supplying much needed power, our medicines and supplies will help health workers treat survivors injured by flying debris and fallen trees and sickened from exposure to rain and unsafe water.”

AmeriCares relief workers will continue to help meet survivors’ health needs in the affected regions, even as the organization continues to restore and rebuild health facilties.

A woman stands next to her collapsed house destroyed by Typhoon Rammasun. Photo by REUTERS/Erik De Castro, www.trust.org