Table 1. Outcomes of focus group discussions on NCDs by issue, Region 8, the Philippines, 2014.
| What were the specific NCD issues encountered? | What are some of the things being done to impact NCDs? | What are your recommendations for future disasters? |
|---|---|---|
|
Providers | ||
| Totally or partially damaged facilities leading to interruption of health services | Building of temporary health facilities, some health facilities operate from tents and make-shift facilities | Respondent: “Emergency transport and communication facility should always be available in the province/region/nation.” Another participant said that this should be integrated in the Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery Plans. |
| Respondent: “LGUs need to build a typhoon-resilient facility in case this will happen again in the future.” | ||
| Lack of human resources in most-affected areas mostly in Eastern Samar, some parts of Western Samar and Leyte | DOH, PHO and others deployed medical teams | Respondent: “There is a need to create stand-by response teams, not only a response team, but one on basic life support and that has reliable equipment.” |
| Some nearby LGUs responded a day after the typhoon. | ||
| Patients/consumers | ||
| Stress (no medicines and drugs for NCDs, lack of food and clothing) | Provision of needs depending on the available resources | Respondent: “We need to stockpile ready-to-eat food packs for NCD patients.” Another participants said we can use colour-coded food packs according to clients’ conditions. |
| Life-saving medical services not available | Respondent: “We’re from the island, we transported patients to the mainland, we asked the Philippines Air Force to airlift the patients.” | Respondent: “Establish helplines for air transport.” |
| Logistics (supplies and equipment) | ||
| Medical supplies at primary health care facilities and commercial pharmacies | Medicines and medical supplies are solicited from other health facilities from other municipalities or provinces. | Respondent: “There is a need to develop emergency kits with laminated algorithm.” |
| Respondent: There is a need for stockpiling of stocks, e.g. pre-pack one-month supply of medicines before the event (basic/first kit/emergency NCD kit).” | ||
| Respondent: “There is a need for a MOA with local/neighbouring pharmacy to make their medicines available to the LGU in case of emergency.” | ||
| Policy | ||
| No specific guidelines on NCD management during disaster | Respondent: “There is a need to develop field manuals that include NCDs so that when disaster comes we have guidelines.” | |
| Surveillance system | ||
| Limited information on NCD after a health emergency | Establishing operation centre and adopting Health Emergency Management System | Respondent: “SPEED is useful but HEMS add other NCDs on SPEED.” |
| Undocumented cases of NCD morbidity and occurrences, e.g. Basey MHO said three died due to NCD, but the death was not documented | Respondent: “I wish there was a registry so that when a disaster comes we already know whom to help.” | |
DOH, Department of Health; HEMS, health emergency management staff; LGU, local government unit; MHO, municipal health office; MOA, memorandum of agreement; NCD, noncommunicable disease; PHO, provincial health office; and SPEED, surveillance on post extreme emergencies and disasters.