Association of Medical Doctors of ASIA, founded in 1984, Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC since 1995

On January 19th, AMDA’s joint relief team conducted large-scale emergency response in Santo Tomas, Batangas Province which has been severely affected by the Taal Volcano eruption.

At one of local evacuation shelters Santo Tomas North Central School, about 300 people took part in medical relief and aid distribution. Among those who participated in the operation were medical professionals, aid workers and volunteers from AMDA Philippines, AMDA Headquarters, AMSA (Asian Medical Students’ Association) as well as local partners and business enterprises.

Due to the temporary school closure in the locality, the said school has been currently housing 358 families (1,278 people) from a nearby evacuation zone (as of January 18th).

During the medical relief, the team saw 192 patients, most of whom had been suffering from respiratory diseases caused by volcanic ashes. In addition to fever, urinary tract infections were also seen that were most likely caused by dehydration from sweltering climate. As for the aid distribution, 1,000 units of buckets were prepared which could be used for multiple daily purposes such as laundry or storing rice.

While those who received the aid expressed their gratitude, they said the ashes had affected their daily farming as well as fishing at Taal Lake which surrounds the volcano. Some also said they were busy clearing up their houses everyday although they have been forced to remain evacuated for the time being. Vice Mayor of Santo Tomas thanked the team upon visiting the site.

According to the press release issued on the 20th, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Managements Council (NDRRMC) said a total of 50,599 families (203,763 people) in Batangas, Cavite, Laguna and Quezon Provinces have been affected by the disaster, of which a total of 26,767 families (104,377 people) have been seeking shelter in 408 evacuation centers.


(Do stay tuned for more updates.)