PMA underscores importance of counseling flood victims

MANILA, Philippines - Conducting counseling service among victims of disasters is a very important psychological intervention to help them cope with their ordeal, a medical group said yesterday. 

“We aim to address both physical and mental equation of the disaster victims. The trauma caused by the calamities can lead to depression and in severe cases suicide. Children are very vulnerable to the effects of traumatic events. We have hundreds of volunteers participating in both the water and land based mission,” said Mike Aragon, media affairs chairman of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA).

The group is set to go to Malabon, one of the worst hit areas during the massive flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces last week.

Participating doctors in the “Doctors on Boats” Mercy Mission program ride on boats to reach houses still submerged in floods.

During counseling sessions, a victim is usually encouraged to talk about what he had gone through to enable him to face reality and eventually overcome his sufferings and bad experience.

Aragon noted aside from counseling, the doctors and other volunteers will also do house calls on boats to address the increasing incidence of skin infection, diarrhea, acute respiratory tract infections and leptospirosis, among others.

Aside from reaching out to flooded communities, they will also conduct medical and dental missions in evacuation areas.

The group will also distribute drinking water and relief goods.

Mandatory teaching of disaster preparedness pushed

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara pushed yesterday for the mandatory teaching of disaster preparedness and mitigation in the elementary and high school level.

Angara filed House Bill No. 460, which aims to instill disaster awareness and promote active participation of the students, will be “a step in the right direction” as it will address the need to minimize loss of life and property damage during natural disasters.

“It’s about time that we become anticipatory, not just reactionary in preparing for disasters,” Angara said, adding that based on studies, the Philippines is perhaps one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world because of its geologic and geographical conditions.

If passed into law, the measure will include a course on natural and man-made disasters in order to equip and prepare the youth in anticipating hazards and calamities.

Sea turtle rescued, turned over to PAWB

Meanwhile, an injured three-foot sea turtle found at the Barge Pool of the South Harbor was turned over to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) last Friday evening.

In the report submitted by Commander Luisito Sibayan of the PCG-Marine Environmental Protection Unit, the sea turtle, locally called pawikan, was found beside the motor tug M/T Cabo as it was anchored at the vicinity of Barge Pool, South Harbor in Manila.

The crew of the M/T Cabo reportedly fished the sea turtle from the Manila Bay and informed the PCG.

The PCG-Port State Control Center (PSCC) immediately sent a four-man team, including two divers from its Special Operations Group, in a rubber boat to fetch the marine reptile from the tugboat.

The recovered sea turtle weighed 30 kilos. Its shell was slightly damaged.

It spent the night at the PSCC office at Pier 13, South Harbor. By early afternoon, the sea turtle was wrapped in wet clothes and loaded inside a 4x4 truck to prevent it from being exposed to the sun.

It was turned over to the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau in Quezon City. – With Paolo Romero, Evelyn Macairan