By Jocelyn P. Alvarez
ZAMBOANGA CITY - The infamous September siege in the city left thousands of families homeless, who are up to now jammed in different evacuation centers.
With this, health issues cropped up leading to an increase in the number of deaths at the evacuation centers particularly in Cawa-Cawa Boulevard and the Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex /grandstand where a number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) are housed.
This also prompted the city government through the City Health Office (CHO) to aggressively take steps to address the problem.
City Health Officer Dr. Rodel Agbulos said the CHO had intensified its monitoring of malnourished children under 5 years old at the evacuation centers. It also conducted feeding activities and advocacies to mothers on the importance of good nutrition.
Senior citizens are checked up daily by the CHO and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) at temporary health centers set up at the evacuation centers.
CHO sanitary inspectors also do advocacies to maintain cleanliness in the area.
Distribution of hygiene kits as well as medicines and supplies in different evacuation centers is continuously being done by the health office while the IDPs (with access cards and referral forms) get free admission or consultation at the Zamboanga City Medical Center or at the CHO.
IDPs who have lost their loved ones in evacuation centers were given burial assistance by the city government through the City Social Welfare Office.
Agbulos said CHO had set up three bunkhouses in front of the sports complex as temporary health centers where the doctors regularly do medical consultations of the IDPs while emergency tents were put up inside the grandstand manned by the PRC.
From September 2013 to February 8, 2014, total deaths at the evacuation centers accounted for 81. Prevalent causes of death include pneumonia, asthma attack, cardiac arrest, cancer, abdominal mass, stroke, dehydration and enlargement of the heart among others. (PIA9)