Health advice for Black Nazarene devotees
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2019 09:20:04 +0000
DEVOTEES take a rest hours before the start of the yearly ‘Pahalik sa Poong Nazareno’ at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, Jan. 8. The Black Nazarene will be escorted by millions of devotees during the Traslacion back to the Quiapo Church on January 9. (Jun Ryan Arañas)
BE mindful of your health.
This is the advice of the Department of Health (DoH) to devotees who will join today’s (Wednesday, January 9) traditional Black Nazarene procession.
“We appeal to devotees joining the Traslacion to prioritize their health. Should any one of them feel any symptom of sickness or suffer an injury, immediately consult our medical teams posted in strategic areas,” said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
The health chief also advised the devotees to bring enough drinking water to avoid dehydration and wear comfortable clothes and protective footwear. Devotees were also encouraged to bring raincoats in case of sudden downpour; and bring hats, fans, or handkerchief.
The DoH also advised to bring medicines especially those with chronic asthma, hypertension, or diabetes. Those who are sick, pregnant, or with serious medical conditions were advised to avoid joining the event.
“Devotees should also refrain from bringing infants, young children, and the elderly to avoid injury. Participants are also encouraged to have an identification card with them with a contact person and number to notify in case of an emergency, and also their blood type, history of allergies, or existing medical condition,” the health chief said.
Duque said that all DoH hospitals in Metro Manila are on “Code White” alert until Thursday, January 10.
The code white alert refers to the readiness status of the facilities assuring the availability of general and orthopedic surgeons, anesthesiologists, internists, operating room nurses, ophthalmologists, and otorhinolaryngologists, to respond to any emergency situation. (Analou de Vera)