LGUs receive emergency kits

CEBU, Philippines - The Capitol turned over yesterday emergency medical technicians kits to local government units in the province.

Direct Relief, a private international organization that provides medical assistance to people affected by calamities and poverty, donated the emergency kits.

The first batch of the kits will be given to 18 LGUs in the province. The towns of Bantayan, Minglanilla, Barili, and Liloan have already claimed their kits during the turnover.

Other recipients that have yet to get their kits are the towns of Santa Fe, Madridejos, San Francisco, Tudela, Poro, Pilar, Argao, Alegria, Oslob, and the cities of Bogo, Danao, Talisay, Naga, and Carcar.

Each LGU was given a trauma bag that contains medicines, bandages and dressings, equipment and supplies for emergency responders, infection control bags and gels, personal safety gears, among others. A package is worth P37,000.

Julius Regner, information officer of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, explained that LGUs that already have their emergency response teams activated and trained were included in the first batch.

The second batch of the medical kits will be given next year to the rest of the LGUs, he said.

“Ang Direct Relief ang namili, kami  na ang nag-mention sa LGUs nga amo na nga na-train,” Regner told reporters.

Regner said the kits are useful in emergency response especially in the outlying areas or those far from health facilities.

PDRRMO has been conducting trainings to its local counterparts as part of its thrust to intensify disaster preparedness following the calamities that struck the province.

November last year, super typhoon Yolanda slammed areas in Visayas, including northern Cebu, and left thousands dead and countless structures damaged.

Two tropical cyclones, tropical depression Queenie and typhoon Ruby, also hovered over Visayas recently and affected the northern and southern parts of Cebu. Both inflicted over P400-million damage to agriculture and infrastructure.

No “preparedness-related” casualties were reported so far. (FREEMAN)