Philippines: Eastern Visayas death toll at 5,240, businesses and hospitals begin to reopen in Tacloban
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) confirmed that death toll has reached 5,240 in Eastern Visayas as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Philippines News Agency Nov. 27.
Image/CIA
Citing official reports from local government units (LGUs), DILG Regional Director Pedro Noval said 1,726 persons are still missing and 25,237 were injured when super typhoon Yolanda battered Leyte and Samar provinces nearly three weeks ago.
Of the total number of casualties, 1,989 in Tacloban City; 2,757 are in Leyte; 265 in Eastern Samar; 224 in Samar and five in Biliran.
In Leyte most casualties were reported in the towns of Tanauan (1,252) and Palo (1,089). At least 754 and 292 persons are still missing and feared dead in Tanauan and Palo, respectively.
Some of the good news out of Tacloban include eight hospitals are now fully operational and are ready to treat various medical conditions, just three weeks after super typhoon “Yolanda” ravaged this city.
DOH Assistant Secretary Paulyn Rosell-Ubial said of the eight hospitals, five are tertiary level, which offers operation services; and three primary level hospitals that accept outpatients but do not perform operations.
These hospitals include Eastern Visayas Medical Center, RTR Medical Center, St. Paul’s Hospital, Bethany Hospital, Mother of Mercy Hospital, Tacloban Doctors Hospital, Tacloban City Hospital and field hospitals of the Australians located near the airport.
Major surgeries are being performed on the Chinese hospital ship “Peace Ark”.
In addition, City administrator John Tecson Lim, during an inter-agency meeting, said the city is gradually getting back on its feet with more and more businesses resuming operations each day, which include banks, restaurants, sari-sari stores and gasoline stations.
And the must needed and desired roofing materials required to repair homes are now on sale in Tacloban. A truckload of these construction materials procured from Mandaue City, Cebu was delivered to Tacloban and “literally sold like hot cakes”, according to a PNA report.
