The country’s location makes it vulnerable to natural disasters, hence, the PEMAT’s potential was tested during local disaster response for Taal Volcano Eruption in Batangas last January 2020 and during the aftermath of Super Typhoon Odette in Dinagat Islands last December 2021, amidst COVID-19 surge.

The primary objective of the deployment was to augment the DOH in the provision of safe, effective, and efficient quality health care services appropriate to the victims’ needs, timely, and coordinated mobilization of DJNRMHS PEMAT, and to evaluate the knowledge and skills acquired in the EMT Basic induction course in disaster response.

As per WHO standards, disaster responses conducted by the DJNRMHS PEMAT followed three important phases: pre-mobilization, mobilization, and post-mobilization. The methods used during these phases in Taal and Dinagat missions were the simulation of drills and application of didactics learnt from the EMT Basic Induction Course for Disaster Response conducted by the DOH in collaboration with WHO in 2019.

The essential services rendered by DJNRMHS PEMAT, ensuring patient and responder safety despite being at the height of COVID-19 surge, were out-patient, acute emergency, trauma and basic obstetric care, basic laboratory, social welfare, public health, and pharmaceutical to 1,124 victims in the Taal Eruption and 1,089 victims of Typhoon Odette.

Safe and effective delivery of quality health care services by PEMAT, a team equipped with knowledge and skills acquired through mentorship, can be achieved with thorough planning, setting of mission objectives, and most importantly, having full support from the management and all stakeholders.