Second National Communications respiratory, skin/eye infections and other communicable diseases. There was accompanying fear and panic from the tsunami hoax; Josefina Delmonte Duran District Hospital was 85-95% damaged - the Emergency Room, Delivery Room & Operating Room were badly damaged and flooded. Limited admissions and minor surgery done were done. Sterility lost. OPD consultation was done at the main entrance area. Box 1: Proactive Health disaster response In an interview with the Provincial health officer, an adaptation mechanism, the likes of the one used for the Severe Acute Respiratory syndrome (SARS) was being employed for the incoming swine flu. The Provincial Health Office (PHO), Albay Provincial Safety and Emergency Office (APSEMO) in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH) in Bicol and the Bicol Regional Teaching and Training Hospital (BRTTH) devised a pro-active response to the swine flu crisis. The five point response: 1) 2) 3) 4) Activate the Provincial Epidemiology surveillance Unit (PESU) Have dedicated beds available in (swine flu units) at the BRTTH, the two district hospitals in the Cities of Ligao and Tabaco; Institute quarantine procedures for suspected cases and the pre-positioning Tamiflu and Relenza vaccines; Issue alert advisories and the reporting by private hospitals of cases of swine flu virus. Dr. Luis Domingo B. Mendoza, Provincial Health Officer II, said that there were Internal revenue allotment (IRA) funds allocated already (24%) for the response. In lieu of Albay being a tourist destination site, the influx will increase the possibility of infection rates increasing. While there is no relation yet established with climate change, Dr. Mendoza believes that it is in setting up this responses that they can be proactive to other diseases that will be deemed climate sensitive in future. Augmentation of personnel from the Batangas provincial hospital, Qurino Memorial Medical Center, as well as the National Orthopedic Hospital was done as part of the response to the typhoon. The Bicol Medical Center set up a hospital tent for the Josefina Delmonte Duran District Hospital as 50% of the hospital personnel were affected by the typhoon and could not work. The Bicol medical center likewise augmented the Guinobatan RHU for walk-in and injured patients. And while the typhoons have been reeking damage to the population in the area, it was also noted that certain infectious diseases have also been on the rise that outbreaks have been recorded. In August of 2007, there were 123 reported cases of Dengue in Albay. There was a recorded doubling of cases in the whole of the Bicol region. It will be noted that there is a difference of how many months from the weather disturbance and the onset of dengue outbreak, which may be the lag time from effects of severe events and the increase in the increased incidence of the disease, hypothesized to be the time where the environment is favorable for the vector life cycle. In a news report (Box 2) of the DoH Region V epidemiologist Aurora Teresa Daluro, she noted that “the cases in the outbreaks of dengue may have been due to a number of reasons. The typhoons last year plus the onset of the rainy season this year resulted in more stagnant bodies of water and thus, more breeding places for mosquitoes.” While this is being reported, there have been different adaptation mechanisms which have been put in place by the Albay government. They have allocated Php 4.5 million to train health personnel in order to respond to disasters, this under the auspices of the Department of Health. The nominees will come from the private sector: Gaisano Mall, Liberty mall, NGOs and will be trained by the Bicol University. They will be receiving a diploma and they will be getting first aid kits and become members of the provincial response team in health emergency management (AHEM). 20