ICC Iligan City (7 November) -- Pneumonia and gastro enteritis are the most common cases inflicted the children inside the evacuation centers of Munai, Lanao del Norte (LDN) which needs immediate medical attention.
This is among the findings of the team from the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC), region 10, who went to the area, recently, to assess and validate the actual situation of the internally displaced persons (IDP) in the said town.
Composed of representatives from the Dept. of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) and Dept. of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the team was headed by Regional Director Carmelito A. Lupo of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), region 10, who is also the Executive Officer of RDCC-10.
The team also found out that the Municipal Health Center of Munai is now being converted into a mini hospital just to accommodate cases of pneumonia and gastro enteritis whose patients are given treatment before they are advised to seek medical treatment and referred to nearby hospitals.
Lupo, however, said the concerned families refused to bring their patients to the hospital due to financial constraints, thus the recommendation of the RDCC-10 team for the establishment of a mobile hospital to be put up by the LDN Provincial Government or thru its Provincial Health Office.
This mobile hospital could be fully equipped with medical needs and will be sent to the hinterland municipalities for the IDP's.
Lupo also mentioned that DOH-CHD-10 has constructed some 30 additional latrines for the IDP'S as requested by the Munai local government unit (LGU) 15 of which were already constructed on the first day of the evacuation.
Meanwhile Lupo said construction of bunkhouses in Poona Piagapo is underway since the IDP's had to vacate the school buildings they are using as evacuation center so classes in the elementary level can resume.
The assessment and validation of the IDP'S in the province which are most affected by the on-going armed conflict will be made regularly to be able to check on their conditions and look for immediate solutions if problems arise, Lupo said. (OSM Radyo ng Bayan)