PH Shares Experience on its Emergency Medical Response in Marawi City

Director Gloria Balboa speaks about the Philippine experience in emergency medical situations at one of the sessions on 06 February 2019 at the Humanitarian Networks and Partnership Week in Geneva, Switzerland. (Geneva PM photo)

GENEVA 04 March 2019 — The Philippines shared its experience on its emergency medical teams’ efforts in the recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi City at Humanitarian Networks and Partnership Week (HNPW), an annual global dialogue on humanitarian action, on 06 February 2019.

Health Emergency Bureau Director Dr. Gloria Balboa of the Department of Health was one of the panelists of the session on “The Future of Emergency Response in Conflict Settings,” which aims to develop a guidance document, to be called the “Red Book” that would address the clinical, operational and security issues medical teams will expect to encounter while responding to armed conflict and complex emergencies.

In her presentation, Dr. Balboa explained that the country’s emergency planning and response in conflict areas include agencies and levels of government. In the situation in Marawi, she highlighted that the Philippine government has taken measures to enhance legal framework and coordination mechanisms to meet the challenges related to saving the lives of Filipinos affected by conflict situations.

She also cited that Task Force Marawi, composed mainly of military forces, was established to focus on the operations. After the liberation of the city, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the creation of an inter-agency “Task Force Bangon Marawi” to focus on the recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi City and other affected areas.

Dr. Balboa underscored that the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as head of the Subcommittee on Health and Social Welfare, played a vital role in providing sanitation and health facilities, medical supplies and other basic necessities for people in need, including psychosocial support to people in distressed.

“Good coordination and complementation of resources with our humanitarian partners – both local and international – has been a good practice. This was a key lessons learned during the Typhoon Haiyan,” Dr. Balboa said, addressing the efficiency and effectiveness of mobilizing resources.

The HNPW is an annual global dialogue among governments and humanitarian actors to find ways and means to improve humanitarian action and address humanitarian challenges. The HNPW this year was held from 04 to 08 February 2019 at the International Conference Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. END

For more information, visit www.genevapm.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinGenevaUN/.