To assist the individuals affected by the 6.0-magnitude earthquake in Davao De Oro, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) immediately sent its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Team to the area.
The EMS Team transported 23 out of the 145 patients evacuated from Davao De Oro Public Hospital to Montevista Sports Complex while the PRC Welfare Team served hot meals to 373 individuals displaced by the earthquake. A Welfare Desk in Davao de Oro Public Hospital was also set up by the volunteers of the PRC.
“True to the Philippine Red Cross mantra of being always first, always ready, always there, our volunteers who responded to the people affected by the earthquake in Davao De Oro deserve a commendation,” said PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard J. Gordon in a statement issued Thursday, Feb. 2.
“That is the reason the Philippine Red Cross exists: to alleviate the suffering of our kababayans in the aftermath of a hazard event,” he added.
Gordon also commended the PRC volunteers and staff for their “prompt response” in the aftermath of the quake that rocked the province on Feb. 1.
PRC volunteers and staff on the ground report damage in infrastructures, such as cracks in ceilings and walls in San Roque Church, Mawab Public Library, Rural Health Unit Birthing Facility, Assumption College of Nabunturan, Montevista Sports Complex, New Bataan State College, Davao de Oro Public Hospital, a slaughterhouse, convenience stores in Compostela Valley, and some houses in Montevista.
The initial needs assessment revealed that displaced populations need modular tents to augment the Davao de Oro Public Hospital’s available units.
Since the water supply has been damaged, there is also a need for clean and safe water, PRC said.
PRC said that its volunteers and staff will set up another Welfare Desk at Montevista Sports Complex with a standby ambulance. The damage and needs assessment also resumed, it added.