THE Department of Health (DOH), through its Health Emergency Management Bureau (HEMB), is now on Code White Alert to prepare for any eventuality this Christmas 2023 and New Year 2024.
This covers the entire health sector, from the DOH central and regional offices, DOH hospitals, and other health facilities, whether public or private and is in effect from December 20, 2023 to January 4, 2024.
The Code Alert System, based on DOH Administrative Order No. 2008-0024, ensures a comprehensive and well-coordinated response by management and with adequate resource mobilization for emergencies and disasters, and uses the Emergency Incident Command System as its core principle.
There are three colors in the Integrated Code Alert System for the health sector (per): Code White, Code Blue, and Code Red – in increasing order of alertness.
A Code White Alert may be declared based on factors such as a strong possibility of a military operation with national implication; any planned mass actions or demonstrations with national implication; forecast typhoons (signal 2 up); national/local elections and other political exercises; any emergency with potentially 10-50 deaths or injuries; notification of reliable information of terrorist attack/activities; unconfirmed report of reemerging diseases (e.g., bird flu, SARS); and any other hazard that may result in emergency. Christmas and New Year are considered national events, holidays and celebrations with potential for mass casualty incidents with 10 or more dead or injured, hence the need to declare a Code White Alert.
A Code White Alert means that hospitals are expected to activate their Operations Center (OPCEN), which will continuously report and coordinate with the regional and central DOH OPCENs. There will also be more medicines and supplies at the emergency and operating rooms (especially for trauma). Other needs such as x-ray plates, laboratory requirements, etc. will also be made available without requirement for out of pocket by victims. There will be more funds and staff ready for use/deployment, with greater logistics coordination as well as security. In anticipation of the number of patients, the triage system will also be enhanced.
The higher Code Blue and Code Red Alerts, on the other hand, require worse conditions such as damage to health facilities, lack of resources or capabilities by local governments to respond, higher number of casualties, etc.
“Under orders of President Marcos, the DOH and all hospitals and health facilities will be ready for all untoward incidents this Christmas and New Year season. However, the best cure is still to prevent such incidents, especially trauma, from even happening. Umiwas na po tayo sa paputok; wag na ring uminom ng alak at mas lalo nang wag magmaneho ng anumang sasakyan pati motorsiklo kung nakainom. Let us all help each other and welcome the New Year happy and healthy together,” said DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, himself a trauma surgeon and EM doctor.