In the wake of the deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Türkiye and its neighboring country, Syria, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) said that it is reviewing its disaster preparedness protocol in case the same disaster happens in the country.
In a statement on Wednesday, Feb. 8, PRC said that it is also preparing its logistics assets to promptly deploy rescue workers and other assistance to affected areas that will need it.
"As auxiliary to the government, the PRC has a Mass Casualty Incident, or MCI, protocol in place. We have trained emergency medical services and psychological first aid providers across the country, and they are ready to respond to people affected by an MCI," PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Gordon said.
As per the World Risk Index 2022 released last September, the Philippines ranked first among 193 countries across the globe when it comes to disaster risk and is highly vulnerable not just to earthquakes but also to volcanic eruptions, typhoons, storm surges, flooding, and drought.
India and Indonesia ranked second and third, respectively.
READ: Earthquake kills more than 5,000 in Turkey, Syria