Filipino bill seeks training of health officers in identifying fatalities

A bill seeking to require all local health officers to have mandatory training in the identification of fatalities from natural and human-induced disasters was filed recently by Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.

In his Senate Bill 3368, amending the Local Government Code of 1991, Pimentel noted that in most calamities, many Filipinos not only mourn but also “bear the pain of uncertainty on the fate of their lost family members.”

“We hear news reports of mass burials of unidentified persons simply because the government lacked capable professionals to identify dead bodies,” said Pimentel in the explanatory note of his bill.

Under SB 3368, Pimentel tasked the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and other appropriate government agencies to provide local health officers the mandatory training on the identification of deceased persons.

He stressed that while the Local Government Code mandates the appointment of a local health officer in all levels of local government, most of them are not technically capable of identifying dead bodies during and after calamities.

This skills lack is unacceptable said Pimentel more so since the Philippines is at the top spot of the list of countries with the most number of reported natural disasters and casualties, second only to Japan.

“Considering that local health officers have knowledge on the medical field, it is but apt that they also be empowered to answer and respond to this problem brought about by disasters,” Pimentel said.

“Appropriate and timely management of dead bodies following disasters is a matter of collective well-being, a question of ethics and human dignity,” he stressed.

In 2011, a total of 431 natural and human-induced disasters were reported in the Philippines, resulting in 1,774 deaths, affecting three million families and translating to P26 billion in economic losses.

Meanhile, Sen. Loren Legarda yesterday reiterated the need to institute a nationwide information campaign on the need and use of geohazard maps to local government units (LGUs) to assist in their disaster risk reduction and management efforts.

Legarda made the call in the light of the rising number of death toll from typhoon “Pablo” in the Visayas and Mindanao and the ballooning cost of damage to properties, agricultural and infrastructure, now reported to be estimated at over P15 billion. “Based on the latest statistics released by the NDRRMC, 906 have died and 900 more remain missing, while we have incurred about P15 billion worth of damages due to typhoon Pablo. These would have been avoided if our local government units and all our citizens had knowledge of geohazard maps,” she said.

Legarda, UN Regional Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, said everyone must have knowledge of their geographical location, and whether they are at high risk or not.

During the briefing called by the committee onclimate change on the use and implementation of the geohazard maps, she stressed that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources should not only distribute these maps, but also, and more importantly, educate LGUs on how to read the map and how it will help them in their disaster risk reduction and management efforts.

“No mayor, barangay captain, or kagawad will put their constituents at risk by relocating them to danger zones. However, due to the lack of information, many have died because the relocation sites themselves are geohazard areas. We should plan our cities and municipalities accordingly,” the senator remarked.

“Disasters should not happen before we begin to take action. We should arm our local government officials with the right tools to ensure that our nation is always prepared and resilient to disasters,” she added.

At least 50,000 geohazard maps have been produced since 2007 and another set, recently manufactured with enhanced information, have been distributed already to 380 out of 1,600 municipalities in the country, said Legarda.

Friday 14 December 2012

http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/nation/item/8132-koko-seeks-training-of-health-officers-in-identifying-fatalities