The Department of Health (DOH) today steps up ongoing efforts in rebuilding the City of Marawi since its liberation from the Maute terrorist group as declared by President Rodrigo Duterte on October 17.
Department of Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III visited the cities of Iligan and Marawi last November 10 in compliance with the President’s directive to assist in the rehabilitation of the cities that were affected by the five-month long siege.
As Marawi enters its seventh week of freedom from the hands of the terrorist group, the DOH continues to respond to health challenges faced by displaced families who may have lost their homes, and even lost their loved ones. These people who took shelter in evacuation centers are referred to as internally displaced persons or IDPs. They were given TSeKap services which included provision of medical supplies as part of the ongoing medical assistance to all IDPs, whether staying in evacuation centers or home-based. Moreover, psychological intervention has been made available to affected families and service providers in an effort to address their mental health needs. Nutrition, especially of the young children and the elderly, is another important consideration being addressed.
The most recent data from the DOH-Health Emergency Management Bureau indicated that the fighting displaced a total of 77,955 families or 367,990 individuals. Seventy-six evacuation centers are still in operation, harboring 2,532 families or 8,574 individuals. A total of 86 deaths were recorded at these facilities from May 23 up to the present, with common causes being pneumonia, sepsis, cardiovascular diseases, acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and prematurity. To date, a total of 18,801 families or 106,598 individuals from 40 barangays in Marawi have already returned home.
Marawi hospitals namely, the Amai Pakpak Medical Center and the Dr. Abdullah Hospital are on 24/7 operation providing relevant medical services. There are 27 active referral hospitals near the city. Currently, there are twenty-two serviceable Barangay Health Stations and outposts in Marawi City open to the public.
The DOH Central Office as well as its Regional Offices and partner agencies have given a total of P 222,388,985.61 worth of logistics and funding assistance to the hospitals and evacuation centers in the concerned areas.
“The DOH assures the people of Marawi that it will not waver in its efforts to rehabilitate the city through ensuring that their health needs are met on a day-to-day basis. We ask our fellow Filipinos there to stay strong and be resilient in the everyday challenges of life. Let us be optimistic that, one day, we will regain the glory of Marawi,” Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III concluded.