Aftermath
Though Typhoon Haiyan is already fading from the headlines,
the nurses' work through RNRN is now kicking into high gear
t's now more than a month after Typhoon Haiyan, or
Yolanda as it's known locally, hit the Philippines, resulting in
nearly 6,000 confirmed deaths as of press time and an estimated 500,000 displaced, homeless people—many living
in tent cities or makeshift shelters. As the plight of the
Philippine people start to fade from international headlines, the work of Registered Nurse Response Network
(RNRN), the disaster relief program of National Nurses United, is
just kicking into high gear. Since our first team of RNs landed Nov.
15, they quickly assessed the situation and have partnered with a
local healthcare union, the Alliance of Health Workers, other
provider volunteers, and local public health officials to staff critically
needed health clinics in neighborhoods, or barangays, in outlying
areas where traditional aid has not reached. By rough estimates,
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N AT I O N A L N U R S E
they are seeing 300 to 400 patients a day. Nearly 30 RNs have
already served their RNRN deployments, and another team is
preparing to leave immediately after the new year. RNRN nurses
have settled into steady work with the city health clinic in Roxas
City, on the northern edge of the island of Panay, and also at clinics
in Estancia, on the northeast edge of the island where oil from a
barge that crashed ashore contaminated the entire coastline and
more inland, as well. Many local residents are simply suffering with
the toxic fumes, holding cloth up to their noses and mouths in order
to breathe. The burning of debris by those trying to rebuild their
homes further worsens the air quality.
Not surprisingly, RNRN volunteers report that they have been
treating a great number of upper respiratory infections. They are
also handling many unmanaged and uncontrolled diseases, such
W W W. N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G
DECEMBER 2013
