Salute to Emergency Task Force

We take a few moments to salute the grand success of the NMI’s Emergency Task Force in the exemplary manner that it handled the recent food poisoning of apparel factory workers here.

Although it was a holiday, each agency group showed up for work when Secretary of Health Joseph Kevin Villagomez radioed for assistance. Within an hour’s time, they were at the scene assisting dozens of patients who were vomitting from toxin in their blood system. By the next day, most have recovered and gradually gained strength to return to normal duty. The team’s satisfaction is in the full recovery of their patients who are now back to work.

If anything, the recent experience gave the team a true glimpse of what it must quickly execute in a crisis involving large numbers of people. Recent exercise of attending to victims of a large airplane crash has enabled the team to hone their skills in emergency situations of such magnitude.

Meanwhile, the NMI is within the Pacific Ring of Fire, thus it occasionally experiences strong though temporary jolts of earthquake after shocks. Three-and-a-half hours north of the Marianas Archipelago is Japan sitting atop four tectonic plates. As recently as a week ago, Tokyo was shaken by a temblor registering some 5.1 on the Richter Scale. The Kobe Earthquake in recent years has demonstrated the fatal dangers of temblors. In Kobe, it slammed highways and railroads, killing a good number of residents early one morning when their houses came tumbling down as a result of a huge earthquake. It’s a fatal temblor that now had Tokyo looking out for the big one. How unfortunate though that even the latest technology is incapable of detecting when earthquakes would hit.

The NMI is also in the typhoon belt that brings heavy and powerful wind-driven rain our way during the typhoon season. The Emergency Task Force is well acquainted with what it must do with a phenomenon that visits these isles since time immemorial. Typhoon Jean’s wrath and destruction in 1968 forced the construction of affordable concrete houses capable of withstanding winds of up to 150-250 miles per hour.

The work of the team has its own set of risks, but this is where we see a true sense of commitment and personal sacrifice to help victims make recovery be it the result of a huge hotel fire, airplane crash, tsunamis (tidal wave), superstorms, or earthquakes. And where we can assist, let us join them in their dedicated efforts to attend to victims’ needs. Our salute and thanks to Mr. Villagomez and the Emergency Task Force for a job well done. Si Yuus Maase`!