SEN. LOREN LEGARDA TODAY CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO PROTECT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS AGAINST EARTHQUAKES IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE STRONG TEMBLOR THAT ROCKED HAITI AND CAUSED WIDESPREAD DEVASTATION AND LOSS OF LIVES IN THE CENTRAL AMERICA NATION.
“Hospitals and other health facilities are critical public infrastructures especially when disaster strikes and victims need emergency services and medical care. Therefore, they should be disaster-proof and disaster-resilient,” said Loren, the chairperson of the Senate committee on demography and health.
“The country should have learned lessons from the 1990 Luzon earthquake. We saw how the earthquake ruined the City of Baguio. We saw how Baguio General Hospital, along with other hospitals in nearby provinces, crumbled from its impact and failed to perform its role as a refuge and haven for the injured victims,” Loren said.
“Hospitals should not only be structurally sound but also capable of dealing with all types of disasters. Health facilities and all health workers able to function fully, efficiently, and effectively during emergencies,” Loren asserted.
Loren pointed out that based on international studies, disaster-proofing a hospital or health facility would add only 4 percent to the cost of construction. “This cost is nothing compared to the risk of destruction of infrastructure and property and death of patients and staff during a disaster, and the equally high health, economic and development impacts in the aftermath,” she said.
Building the resilience of the health sector to disasters, Loren said, “brings the double benefit of saving lives and achieving our development goals.” The national government, local governments and the private sector, who have invested much resources in the country’s health care system, should therefore share common responsibilities in running it.
Loren urged Congress to do its part in making the country’s health sector able to withstand any natural catastrophe. “The fiscal policies of government should also be geared towards helping private-run hospitals improve their structural integrity and their facilities. The government can grant tax incentives to hospitals that invest in risk reduction-related structures, equipment and facilities,” she said.
Loren also suggested that Congress revisit the National Building Code to determine whether there is a need to update its provisions to meet the requirements of effective disaster risk reduction.
dapat lng tlga na mgakaron tayo ng mga matitbay na buildings pra hindi tayo matulad sa haiti kelan pa ba tyo kikilos kapag ubos na ung mga tao sa pilipinas bkit si sen. loren lng ang nanawagan para dito sya lng ba tlga ang may tunay na concern sa bayan at sa tao.haaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy
ReplyDeleteall politicians should have think about this matter pero parng si loren lang ata tlga ung ngiicip ng gnito pra maligtas ung mga pinoy
ReplyDeleteAs I have exepceted, Sen. Loren will put effort on checking on this kind of matters and incident. She is right, we should be ready, and hospitals and public infrastructures should be disaster proof and disaster resilient.
ReplyDeleteI admire her for putting attention on this and for opening suggestions that will help us cope with future disasters.
It is important that we are getting ready for future calamities for we don't know when are we going to get a hit of earthquake or a tragic disaster.
Tama yan ms Loren, dapat talga matitibay ang mga buildings dito sa Pilipinas. Natatakot nga ako na mangyari din sa tin ung nangyare sa Haiti e. Kinakabahan din kami bilang mamayan na karaniwan, nakakatakot na mwalan ng mahal sa buhay o maghrap dahil sa malaking disaster katulad ng napakalakas na earthquake.
ReplyDeleteSana po mas idulog niyo pa ung hinain para sa mga kalamidad at may mga gawa taung lahat para maiwasan.
Nangyari ang ondoy at di magtatagal posible din mangyari ang mga nakakatakot na lindol...
Dapat nga talgang magbigay ng budget ang gobyerno para maging earthquake proof mga hospital naten at buildings.
ReplyDeleteTama siya, kung mangyari ung earthquake tapos hindi it shake proof, mas maraming mamatay at mas malaki ang gagastusin. Ung idea palang na maraming posibleng maaksidente e hindi na maganda, kaya nga dapat talga magbgay pansin sa ganitong issue.
Let's all watch loren on a debate on gma 7 at 10:45 pm.
ReplyDeletenapapaligiran pa naman ang pilipinas ng fault lines. sa maynila pa lang, andyan ang marikina at rizal fault line. pero tignan mo naman..dami pa rin mga skyrise tinatayo sa mga lugar na malapit dito, like sa eastwood. sana nasisiguradong may nararapat na permit ang mga pagtayo nito. i can just imagine kung mangyari nga ang ganun kalakas na pagyanig dito..
ReplyDeleteung mga din eh well actually nangyari na saatin yan eh. ondoy palang diba pero asan ang gobyerno ni wal man lang naitulong kakaunti lang.san mahalal n ang karapat dapat..
ReplyDeletethe government should have a very strong disaster response plan and be prepared in the worst situations. i dunno if there is already a technology for buildings to be earthquake proof. japan is also always struck by quakes, but their infrastructures still get damaged.
ReplyDeletePlus points for Sen. Loren for recognizing this need. Let's keep our hopes up that an earthquake of such magnitude won't happen anytime soon, but let's also prepare for it. In Haiti, those who survived but were badly injured were left without much medical care, which only puts them in a worse situation. At least if hospitals are able to withstand earthquakes, without plenty damage, then victims would still be taken care of..
ReplyDeletenaalala ko po nung ondoy, pati mga hospital ay binaha. walang mga kagamitan naisalba. at lalo pa npahamak ang mga pasyente. dapat talga ligtas sa kalamidad ang mga ospital!
ReplyDeletei agree charmine another plus points for loren. haist sana siya n nga ang maging vice president ng pilipinas para everytime na may disaster n mangyayari eh handa na po tau hehe :)
ReplyDelete