ILIGAN City — Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial has ordered Department of Health (DOH) responders and health workers to reach out to the identified “home-based” Marawi evacuees and provide them free health services wherever they are.
In a statement during her recent visit in one of the evacuation centers in Buru-un Iligan City, Ubial said the department needs to initiate an information drive in order to raise evacuees’ awareness and urge them to avail of DOH’s health services for free, including hospitalization.
The Secretary said identification card is no longer required as long as they (evacuees) are from Marawi since the start of hostilities in May 23.
“We should make our hotlines known to all and inform our (evacuees) that they can avail of hospitalization for free as these services are covered by PhilHealth,” Ubial said.
She said most of the 24 confirmed deaths recorded were ‘home-based’ evacuees.
“These were referred to different hospitals but died later because most of whom have pre-existing ailments or conditions. They suffered various illnesses while staying with their relatives or extended families and were brought to the hospitals only when their conditions became critical,” she explained.
Thousands of home-based evacuees are now in Iligan City but some of them have yet to be profiled by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
In Lanao del Norte province, a total of 10,214 families comprising 45,735 individuals have been profiled as home-based evacuees.
Likewise, Lanao del Sur Provincial Health Officer Dr. Alinader Minalang reported to Secretary Ubial the presence of more than 330,500 evacuees in his area of jurisdiction and reaching out to them is now his utmost concern. (doh x)
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