THE Department of Health – Ilocos Region deployed medical teams from the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC) and Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH & MC) to provide medical assistance to residents affected by the strong earthquake that hit parts of Luzon last Wednesday.

Regional Director Paula Paz Sydiongco said that assorted medicines and supplies, including hygiene kits, were turned-over to the Ilocos Sur provincial government to be distributed to the affected communities.

“Nagbigay din po tayo ng mga emergency supplies gaya ng ng folding beds, water containers, mga alcohol at aquatabs na ilalagay sa mga tubig galing poso upang maging malinis ito sa mga mikrobyo at maaring inumin,” Sydiongco said.

Around 100,000 worth of medicines and supplies were given by the regional office.

“So far, our three retained hospitals – ITRMC, MMMH & MC, and Region 1 Medical Center (R1MC) were spared from any major damage and are fully-operational 24/7 to cater to individuals needing medical assistance,” Sydiongco said.

“We are continuously monitoring everything and making sure that medical assistance is adequate. All our provincial DOH offices are in coordination with the local government units, district hospitals to provide for any additional assistance or medical services,” she added.

In Ilocos region, the provinces of Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte were among the areas badly hit by the 7.3 magnitude earthquake.

Sydiongco cautioned residents to stay on alert for aftershocks and advised families living near the coastal waters to temporarily evacuate as the threat of a tsunami is still present after an earthquake with this magnitude.

“Patuloy po tayong mag-ingat at umiwas para po sa ating kaligtasan,” she strongly reminded.

Meanwhile, the number of families affected by the magnitude 7 earthquake that struck Abra and nearby Northern Luzon areas on July 27 has climbed to 82,336 or 314,161 persons, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday.

The NDRRMC said the number is higher than the 62,024 families recorded on Saturday.

The affected families are residents of 996 barangays in Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan Valley), and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

The NDRRMC added that the death toll to the Abra quake rose to 10.