The Department of Health (DOH) hospitals are capable of enduring a possible magnitude 7.2 earthquake that could hit Metro Manila and nearby provinces, also known as the “Big One”, according to the health chief on Tuesday.
“Yes. Because we conducted the Safe Hospital Project — we already carried out a Structural Engineering Assessment together with ASEP, our Association for Structural Engineers of the Philippines,” Teodoro J. Herbosa, DOH Secretary said in a mix of English and Tagalog during a press conference at Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital.
“The ones that were found to have problems were retrofitted. Retrofitting measures were carried out to make our hospitals more resilient,” Mr. Herbosa added.
Some representatives from DOH hospitals also assured that their newly constructed buildings comply with seismic design standards, making them capable of withstanding earthquakes of over magnitude 7.2.
There are 19 DOH hospitals in the National Capital Region, out of a total of 86 nationwide.
As the “Big One” is expected to cause tens of thousands of deaths and injuries in Greater Metro Manila, Mr. Herbosa said DOH hospitals must be the most resilient than any other structures.
But in the event that some hospitals are severely damaged, he said that the Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT) is on standby and ready to be deployed following the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
“So, our PEMAT 44, 45, and 46 — among the 85 globally recognized— are classified as Type 1. Type 1 means they can set up a field hospital with outpatient, emergency, and inpatient services, except for an operating room,” the DOH chief said.
He added that nearby undamaged hospitals are also being tapped to increase their normal capacity by 10% to accommodate the potential surge of patients.
To ensure continuity of operations, Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in North Caloocan City could also serve as the DOH’s alternative emergency operations center, as it is located far from the fault line and could take over if the agency’s central office is severely affected, Mr. Herbosa said. — Edg Adrian A. Eva