Over a thousand devotees were provided with medical assistance by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) during the Feast of the Black Nazarene Procession 2023 in Manila.
The DOH said a total of 642 consultations, were reported, managed, and addressed from the days of the preparation to the said celebration. Of these, four were hospitalized, three of which are now discharged, and one is still under observation.
Majority of the cases, the DOH said, are cardio-related (577).
Meanwhile, as of 1 p.m. on Monday, PRC’s medical personnel, volunteers and first aid stations provided medical services to 502 patients with hypertension, 48 with minor injuries (e.g., abrasion, chest pain, abdominal pain, and concussion) while two were transported to hospitals for shortness of breath.
Meanwhile, two persons underwent psychosocial treatment.
Earlier, the PRC deployed the following assets to serve the participants of the Black Nazarene Feast from January 7 to 9: 15 ambulances, one fire truck, 17 foot patrollers, 280 volunteers, two medical doctors, and five medical teams.
Four first aid stations were positioned in (2) Quirino Grandstand, (1) Kartilya ng Katipunan, and (1) Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (MBBN). One Emergency Medical Unit (EMU), equipped with 20 beds, basic medical equipment, devices, and supplies, was set up at the Kartilya ng Katipunan.
Image credits: Roy Domingo