- GILBERT P. BAYORAN
In connection with the Christmas and New Year celebrations, all the nine hospitals managed by the provincial government of Negros Occidental have been placed under “Code White.”
This means all hospital staff are put in readiness to respond to any emergency situation or health-related incidents.
Dr. Mary Ann Maestral, chief of Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, said Thursday, Dec. 21, that the preparations of the Hospital Operations Department have been initiated since November.
Maestral said hospital personnel are ready for any emergency on Christmas and New Year’s Days.
She said the district hospitals are also prepared for the post-New Year festivities on the first week of January.
In an advisory, the Department of Health-Western Visayas declared Code White Alert, in relation to the yuletide season celebrations, from Dec. 20 until Jan. 4 next year.
Maestral said the next two weeks after the New Year festivity is very crucial since by then all the effects of the celebration will be felt by the hospitals.
While they noted a reduction in firecracker-related injuries in the past years, Maestral said they observed many cases of myocardial infarction, also known as heart attack, and asthma, wherein the intensive care units are always full of such patients. | GB
