TACLOBAN CITY — With emergency cases typically rising during the Christmas and New Year holidays, the Department of Health–Eastern Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-EVCHD) has completed its annual hospital rounds and facility inspections in Tacloban City and Palo, Leyte as part of the 2025 Ligtas Christmas Campaign.
The inspections were led by the DOH-EVCHD Executive Committee in coordination with the Health Emergency Management Services Unit, the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, and the Health Promotion Unit. The activity aimed to assess the preparedness of major health facilities to respond to medical emergencies during the peak holiday period.
Among the hospitals visited were Eastern Visayas Medical Center, Divine Word Hospital, Mother of Mercy Hospital, Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Hospital, Shalom Hospital, the Governor Benjamin T. Romualdez General Hospital, Tacloban City Hospital, and ACE Medical Center, all in Tacloban City; the Governor Benjamin T. Romualdez General Hospital and Schistosomiasis Center, Leyte Provincial Hospital, all in Palo.
Inspection teams evaluated emergency room readiness, availability of essential medicines and medical supplies, staffing levels and duty schedules, referral and coordination mechanisms, and monitoring systems to ensure the continuous delivery of safe, timely, and quality health services throughout the festive season.
The Ligtas Christmas Campaign focuses on strengthening hospital preparedness for common holiday-related emergencies, particularly firecracker-related injuries and road traffic accidents, which historically increase during the yuletide season. Monitoring also covers other critical conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, and asthma exacerbations.
DOH regional data showed that from December 23, 2024 to the first five days of January 2025, a total of 34 firecracker-related injuries were recorded in Eastern Visayas—significantly higher than the eight cases reported during the same period in 2023. Most of the victims were males who sustained blast and burn injuries from firecrackers such as kwitis, with several cases resulting in amputations and eye injuries.
Health officials said the figures underscore the persistent public health risks associated with unsafe holiday practices. They reiterated the importance of prevention and community vigilance, urging the public to avoid hazardous activities, heed safety advisories, and cooperate with authorities to help reduce preventable injuries.
The DOH stressed that ensuring hospital readiness is a key component of the Ligtas Christmas Campaign, which seeks to protect public health and save lives during the holiday season.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
