Language issues posing problems in Marawi evacuation camps

June 14, 2017

The Department of Health has tapped some 1,000 health workers from Davao, Soccsksargen and those displaced in Marawi City by a three-week fighting to undergo training to help evacuees. “We have already deployed many psychosocial workers to evacuation centers. The problem is we need to (overcome) the language barrier,” said Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial in an interview on Wednesday. She said they are having difficulty as many of their personnel cannot speak Maranao. “In psychosocial counseling, the important thing there is the listening aspect. We should listen to their feelings, experiences, and for them to let out their emotions,” said Ubial. Ubial said psychosocial counseling, especially among young evacuees, is necessary. “Many of them develop to be introverts, are very quiet, does not want to mingle with others, does not participate in school works, and breaks down at times. These are the signs and symptoms of post-stress syndromes,” said Ubial. Since the fighting started May 23, over 316,000 have been displaced in Marawi City. The health department said some children are suffering from trauma. Ubial said no outbreak of diseases in evacuation centers have been reported but there more persons are having respiratory tract infection, hypertension, skin diseases, and acute gastroenteritis. “We are continuously advising them to practice proper hand washing. Let us maintain our personal hygiene. And when cough and colds in evacuation centers have already started.  we advise them to wear masks,” said Ubial. She said they are monitoring measles and chicken pox among the youth in evacuation centers. DMS “We have already started vaccinating children, regardless of their previous immunization statuses, in order to prevent its spread,” said Ubial. DMS