The Department of Health (DoH) plans to send three Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Teams (PEMAT) to its two earthquake-hit Southeast Asian neighbors.

On Friday, 28 March, a magnitude-7.7 tremor struck Myanmar and Thailand leaving scores dead and injured.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said he immediately instructed the PEMATs to be on standby for deployment once international coordination protocols with the affected countries are completed and a request is received.

“We are continuously in touch with the Office of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for further instructions as the Philippines coordinates with its earthquake-stricken ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) neighbors,” Herbosa said.

In 2023, the DoH deployed PEMATs from the Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital and Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium to Turkey following an earthquake there.

No shortage of volunteers

More recently, the Eastern Visayas Medical Center organized its own PEMAT team.

PEMAT Metro Manila, PEMAT Luzon, and PEMAT Visayas have been cited as World Health Organization Emergency Teams by the WHO Singapore Emergency Medical Team and Japan Disaster Relief.

The three PEMATS are certified and recognized for international humanitarian deployment and are classified as Type 1 Fixed EMTs, which means they can provide daylight-hours care for acute trauma and non-trauma presentations and referrals.

The PEMATS can also do health investigation or care and community-based primary care in a fixed outpatient facility.

“The DoH can send our PEMAT should there be a need for humanitarian medical assistance in Myanmar and Thailand. We are ready,” Herbosa said.