The Department of Health (DOH), through its Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT) 46, has established a makeshift hospital in Sto. Tomas to serve flood-affected communities in Pampanga.

The initiative comes after severe flooding forced the temporary closure of Domingo B. Flores District Hospital in Macabebe.

DOH Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa personally inspected the facility, which was set up inside a converted movie theater at the Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital Ambulatory Surgical and Multispecialty Center – Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Services (JASMC-BUCAS).

The site now operates as a Type 1 Fixed Emergency Medical Facility, offering free medical services such as general consultations, resuscitation, CT scans, anti-rabies shots, leptospirosis treatment, minor surgery, laboratory testing, and emergency obstetric care.

Managed by JBLMGH, PEMAT 46 is composed of 20 medical personnel and is one of only three WHO-verified emergency teams in the Philippines.

The facility houses 15 beds for Level 1 patients, while more serious cases are referred to the OFW Hospital and JBLMGH in San Fernando.

Secretary Herbosa said the facility could eventually grow into a full-service hospital, serving not just Sto. Tomas but neighboring towns like Macabebe, Masantol, Minalin, and Apalit.

He also reminded the public to take precautions against leptospirosis and other flood-related illnesses.

“In times when LGUs are overwhelmed, the national government is ready to step in,” Herbosa emphasized.