The Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday distributed medical equipment to the communities affected by the oil spill from the capsized tanker in Oriental Mindoro last week.

In a press statement, DOH said its officer-in-charge (OIC) Maria Rosario Vergeire led the turnover of medicines, face masks, nebulizers, oxygen concentrators, and other supplies during her visit to the province.

The said medical supplies were pooled from several hospitals in Manila.

“This incident calls for a whole-of-government approach, and with the environment being a major determinant of the health of our people, the DOH is working closely together with other concerned national government agencies and local government units to mitigate the effects of the oil spill to the affected communities,” Vergeire said as quoted by the DOH.

Apart from the distribution of medical equipment, she also convened with the officials of Oriental Mindoro’s provincial government and provincial health office to discuss the “improved patient referral, local health facility enhancement, and capacity building among responders on disaster response.”

“Ang Kagawaran ng Kalusugan ay handa pong tumulong sa mga pangangailangang medikal sa probinsya ng Oriental Mindoro na naapektuhan ng oil spill. Through close coordination with the provincial government and local government units, we are ensuring that the communities have clean drinking water and those responding to the incident are equipped with proper protective gear to avoid potential risks,” the DOH OIC said.

Meanwhile, the health department has released a public health advisory for volunteers who are helping with the oil spill cleanup ventures in Oriental Mindoro.

“Mula sa Kagawaran ng Kalusugan at sa lahat ng sangay ng pamahalaan na kasalukuyang nagtutulungan, pinapaalalahanan ang lahat na mag-ingat,” it captioned in a Facebook post.