Guidelines released for foreign medical teams traveling to ‘Yolanda’ areas

Red Cross and UNICEF medics administer polio and measles vaccinations to children at an evacuation center for typhoon survivors, Tuesday Nov. 26, 2013, more than two weeks after Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the city, in Tacloban, Leyte province in central Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms on record, hit the country’s eastern seaboard Nov. 8, leaving a wide swath of destruction. AP

SAN FRANCISCO—The Philippine Consulate released guidelines from the Department of Health on how the Philippines accepts foreign medical teams (FMTs) that want to help treat the thousands of people injured in areas hit by Supertyphoon “Yolanda,” or “Haiyan.”

Foreign governments, international non-government organizations, independent foreign organizations, health providers, humanitarian teams and foreign private organizations or initiatives that intend to send medical teams to the Philippines should directly contact the Department of Health, copy furnished the Philippine Consulate General:

Secretary Enrique T. Ona, Office of the Secretary Department of Health, Tel. No.: (+632) 651-7800 local 1125, 1126 or 1108; Fax No.: (+632) 743-1829; [email protected]; Attention: Undersecretary Teodoro Herbosa, [email protected] or [email protected]

Interested entities shall fill out a form for DOH’s evaluation, available from the addresses above. The DOH will assess the capacities of the foreign medical teams (FMTs) and issue approvals for deployment, which includes the FMT’s area of assignment, station of operations, date of operation, key services to be provided, etc. The station of operation might be changed depending on the current situation. The FMT will be informed once it has been approved for deployment.

For additional information, DOH Undersecretary Teodoro Herbosa has been assigned in charge of Foreign Medical Teams.