The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) medical team composed of two volunteer doctors from Makati Medical Center (MMC) and three volunteer nurses from PRC chapters left for Nepal today. The team will join the contingent from the Canadian Red Cross who will set up an emergency field hospital (EFH) to provide emergency medical care to the vulnerable population affected by the earthquake.
Particularly, the medical team from the Philippines will concentrate on providing maternal and child health care, with capability to provide surgical operations. Members of the Philippine team are highly trained and have been previously deployed in other EFH operations such as in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda.
According to PRC chairman Richard Gordon, the EFH and medical staff were deployed to help cater to the growing medical and health needs of the affected population. “Currently, hospitals in Nepal are overwhelmed by the volume of patients. They need medical supplies and equipment, and that’s why we are sending our team there,” he said.
Gordon also disclosed that the medical team from the Philippines will no longer be bringing with them equipment aside from their own personal response kits. “The equipment has already been shipped by the Canadian Red Cross. We already have a field hospital set up there with equipment, including medicines,” said Gordon.
Members of the Philippine medical team include Dr. Ranvier Martinez from the Department of Emergency Medicine of MMC and Dr. Cleofe Medina from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of MMC. They are joined by volunteer nurses from PRC chapters: Florianne Adlawan, from Cebu; Jasper Caleb Aguilo from Southern Leyte, and Dan Espenzer Velasco from Pangasinan.
The medical team will leave for Kuala Lumpur at 12:50 pm and proceed to Kathmandu tonight. They are expected to arrive in Kathmandu at 10:30pm (Philippine time).
Yesterday, an emergency response unit (ERU) search and rescue team, composed of 13 trained emergency response personnel, left for Nepal from the PRC national headquarters in Manila. The ERU team from the PRC will assist the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) in the search and rescue and retrieval of trapped victims from collapsed structures. All of the team members are highly trained and experienced on collapsed structure search and rescue (CSSR) and urban search and rescue (USAR). The team members are also trained and experienced emergency medical technicians and firefighters.
As of 9am today, the team is already onboard a flight to Kathmandu and are expected to arrive in Kathmandu by 3pm (Philippine time)/1pm (Nepal time).
The ERU team is headed by Leonardo Ebajo, ERU manager from the PRC. Other members of the team include 1 from the Manila chapter, 4 volunteer staff from PRC national headquarters ERU, and 7 from Olongapo City/SBMA. Here are the other members of the PRC ERU team that were deployed to Nepal: Don Erikson Orje, Aldrin Benavidez Pacapac, Eric James Pinlac Talavera, Dave Dennis Nicolas Navida, Bernie Jay Santos, Rani Chuaco Cruz, Edwin Paule Santos, Jay-Arr Aquino Basa, Andre Perex Villanueva, Noel Bautista Lapid, Romeo Dela Cruz Paulmino, and Hedion Dela Cruz Esteban.
Gwendolyn Pang, secretary general of the PRC, meanwhile appealed for support from Filipinos for the Nepal Red Cross. “As part of our additional support to the Nepal Red Cross and to the whole Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, the PRC calls upon the kind hearts of our Filipino countrymen to extend our spirit of generosity at a time when it is needed most. As we too have received overwhelming blessings of compassion and goodwill during our times of crisis especially during typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, may we take this opportunity to give back the support we have received,” she said.
Cash donations could be sent to the PRC through the following:
Banco de Oro (Port Area)
Peso: 00-453-0190938
Dollar: 10-453-0039482
Swift Code: BNOR PH MM
Type: Savings
Metrobank (Port Area)
Peso: 151-7-15152434-2
Dollar: 151-2-15100218-2
Swift Code: MBTC PH MM
Type: Savings
Bank of the Philippine Islands (Port Area)
Peso: 4991-0036-52
Dollar: 4994-0103-15
Swift Code: BOPI PH MM
Type: Savings
Philippine National Bank (Escolta)
Peso: 3752-8350-0034
Dollar: 3752-8350-0042
Swift Code: PNB MPH MM
Type: Savings
Unionbank (Taguig)
Peso: 1015-400-002-01
Dollar: 1315-400-000-90
Swift Code: UB MPH MM
Type: Savings
Or donate online by visiting the following link: http://ushare.redcross.org.ph