Phl rescuers in Turkey clear 20 buildings
The 82-member Philippine Inter-Agency Contingent (PHIAC) to Turkey has swept through 20 buildings destroyed by last week’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake in search for survivors as of Sunday.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said yesterday the PHIAC had set up the Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT) field hospital as soon as they arrived in Adiyaman last Friday.
Since starting operations, the PEMAT field hospital has catered to ambulatory cases and referrals requiring hospitalization, serving 14 patients on Saturday and 41 more on Sunday.
Dr. Alfonso Danac, PEMAT team leader who joined the press briefing virtually from Turkey, said the PHIAC has been working very hard to help earthquake victims despite the many challenges.
Danac explained that Filipino rescuers and medical personnel have been working under extreme cold weather conditions in one of the most devastated places in Turkey.
He said the language barrier is also a problem, but the people of Adiyaman are very thankful for the help being provided by the PHIAC, the first such response team to reach their area.
The OCD said the Filipino responders brought with them 13,412 kilos of cargo composed of medical supplies and equipment; field hospital tents and personnel shelter; search, rescue and retrieval equipment; food rations and engineering tools and equipment.
The Department of National Defense-OCD procured 11,205 blankets, 5,000 bonnets and 420 gloves that were delivered to the Turkish Airways cargo with the items now stored at the Incirlik Air Base in Adana.
As of yesterday, the death toll from two earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria has risen to over 33,000 as rescuers continue to save those trapped under collapsed buildings and look to start recovering more of the deceased, according to reports.
Help for Syria
From Tokyo, Japan, President Marcos said the Philippines is also finding a way to extend assistance to war-ravaged Syria, which was rocked by the strong earthquakes of Feb. 6.
“I’m trying to find a way because it was not just Turkey which was hit, even Syria. And we know that the situation in Syria is not that good. That’s why I’m hoping to be able to do something to help them also,” the President told reporters on the presidential plane en route to Manila from Japan on Sunday.
Marcos also acknowledged efforts of the Philippine rescue and medical teams sent to assist quake victims in Turkey.
“The situation there (Turkey) is really bad. They (Philippine contingent) were able to help a lot. They already set up a hospital and rescued many people. They still keep going on,” he said.
Yesterday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief said 53 trained police personnel are ready to be deployed for search and rescue operations in Turkey and Syria.
“When our President said that we will be sending our contingent, we, the PNP, volunteered because we have personnel that are capable of conducting rescue in similar instances,” Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., speaking in Filipino, told reporters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
But Azurin said there is still no word from the DND or the OCD if they would be deployed to the quake-hit countries.
“As far as [we know,] there will no longer be deployments. But we are ready; the 53 people we have are ready for deployment,” he said.