Hospitals on code white alert for New Year

All Department of Health (DOH) hospitals are on “code white alert” starting today up to Jan. 2, 2024, putting all personnel especially those in emergency medicine, surgical and anesthesia specialties and nurses on active on-call status.

- RHODINA VILLANUEVA

“We do this yearly to respond to the several incidents of fireworks-related injury (FWRI) as the public welcomes the New Year. Even though there are fewer cases now compared to those that have been recorded in the past years, it is better to still be prepared for any eventuality,” DOH Assistant Secretary Ariel Valencia said.

All necessary equipment, instruments, medical and surgical supplies, drugs and medicines needed to attend to emergencies have been prepositioned at the emergency department and additional tent for treatment area with portable sink and supplies placed just outside emergency department in case there will be a surge of patients, Dr. Monserrat Chichioco, medical center chief II of a Level 3 hospital in Central Luzon said.