Provincial hospitals in Bohol 

now on white code alert 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Dec. 19 (PIA)--A white code alert was raised in all 10 provincial government-owned hospitals in Bohol in preparation for Christmas and New Year revelries.

Provincial Health Office (PHO) Chief Dr. Reymoses Cabagnot assured that all the provincial hospitals in the province are now ready ahead in preparation for the festivities particularly in welcoming 2018.

The PHO defined code white alert as the readiness of hospital staff to respond to any emergency situation, placing all on an on-call status its nursing and administrative staff residing at the hospital dormitory.

While Rural Health Units (RHU) in various towns are directed to be on alert as these facilities should not be without personnel during the holidays.

Cabagnot said that employees of RHUs were told to be on call throughout the day.

According to the health official, preparation in health facilities is crucial during the holiday period as firecracker-related and even stray bullet injuries have been rampant in the previous years.

So far, there have been no reported injuries caused by firecracker accidents yet in the province.

The Department of Health (DOH) is expecting fewer firecracker-related injuries during the Christmas holiday up to the New Year’s eve celebration to welcome 2018, since the use of firecrackers and fireworks is now confined in a community fireworks display area, based on EO 28 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte last June.

This year’s DOH “Iwas Paputok” campaign, which carries the theme “Oplan: Iwas Paputok, Fireworks Display ang Patok! Makiisa sa Fireworks Display sa Inyong Lugar,” started last December 16, 2017 and will end on January 5, 2018. (ecb/PIA7-Bohol)