VSMMC - Health Emergency and Disaster Management Unit - HEDMU

Happy Birthday to our Unit Head Dr. Gerard Christopher G. Aquino, MPH-HA

Enjoy this Special Day and All the Best to you Doc! 🫡

Greetings from,
Your VSMMC HEDMU Family

Congratulations to our dedicated Nursing Attendants and Transport Team on the successful completion of the Patient Safety Transport Training held on April 23–24, 2026.

This training marks another important milestone in our continued commitment to delivering safe, efficient, and patient-centered care. Through this program, our participants enhanced their competencies in proper patient handling, safe transport protocols, risk identification, and emergency responsiveness—ensuring that every patient transfer is conducted with the highest standards of safety and professionalism.

We commend all participants for their active engagement, discipline, and dedication throughout the training. Your commitment plays a vital role in strengthening our hospital’s culture of safety and excellence.

Together, we move forward in providing safer care for every patient, every time.

✅ Course Completion Announcement

We are pleased to announce the successful conclusion of the CBRN Mass Casualty Medical Response Operations Training Course, held from April 13 to 18, 2026 at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

This intensive program equipped first responders, medical personnel, and emergency managers with advanced skills to manage mass casualty incidents involving Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) hazards. Participants engaged in scenario‑driven drills, decontamination procedures, triage protocols, and interagency coordination — strengthening operational readiness for high‑consequence events.

Congratulations to all the participants for their dedication and professionalism. A sincere thank you to our instructors and partner agencies for ensuring a rigorous and impactful training experience.

Together, we continue to build resilient and prepared communities.

-H &Receivers

𝐀𝐢𝐫 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

We are seeing a significant improvement in the air quality across Metro Cebu. As of today, April 21, 2026, the persistent haze has begun to thin as the Air Quality Index (AQI) has dropped to 139.

This improvement is largely due to a notable increase in local wind speeds. Higher wind speeds have facilitated the dispersion of trapped particulate matter, helping to break up the stagnant air mass and move pollutants away from the metropolitan area.
Because of this natural ventilation, the air quality classification has been downgraded from "Very Unhealthy" to "UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS."

Current AQI: 139 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups)
Trend: Improving (Down from 177 yesterday and 199 on April 19)
Station Data: Talisay City Station reflects this downward trend in PM2.5 concentrations, while Toledo City Station continues to report "GOOD" air quality.

𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲
While the increased wind is helping clear the skies, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) still remains at levels that require caution:
SENSITIVE GROUPS: Children, the elderly, and those with respiratory or heart conditions should still limit prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.

GENERAL PUBLIC: The risk to the general public has decreased, but it is still wise to monitor how you feel and move strenuous activities indoors if you experience discomfort.

PROTECTION: For those in sensitive categories who must remain outdoors, the use of a well-fitted N95 or KN95 mask is still recommended until levels reach the "Moderate" or "Good" range.
The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-7) will continue to monitor wind patterns and PM2.5 levels to provide regular updates.

VSMMC Involves! Produces New Set of Facilitators for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support!

VSMMC recently participated the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Training of Facilitators, held at The Reef Resort, Lapu-Lapu City from March 23-27, 2026.

Conducted by the DOH Region 7, this intensive 5-day training gathered 27 participants from across the region and 4 of which are from the VSMMC’s Center for Behavioral Health Sciences and the Health Emergency and Disaster Management Unit (HEDMU).

This training provides our HEDMU staff with the essential tools to facilitate the transition from victimhood to survivorship, helping affected individuals regain agency and control in the immediate aftermath of an incident.

VSMMC Involves! Co-Designing of DRRM-H Simulation and Training Center In Visayas.

VSMMC Health Emergency and Disaster Management Unit participated in the Co-Designing of the proposed DRRM-H Simulation and Training Center in the Visayas, last March 27, 2026 at the University of the Philippines, Cebu.

Dr. Gerard Christopher Aquino, unit Head of HEDMU, the only representative for the Health Facilities, shared substantial inputs on the overall design of the proposed center from its location, function, sustainability, profit, specific training modules and topics on DRRM, including future projections using Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality with the aid of Artificial Intelligence.

This Project is spearheaded by the Director of the Institute of Health Policy and Development Studies (IHPDS) of UP-Manila, Professor Hilton Y. Lam, PhD

The said workshop was attended by different keyplayers in DRRM and DRRM-H from private, government Agencies, LGUs, health facilities, academe, (DRRMOs of Cebu City, Mandaue, Consolacion, and Cebu Province, VSMMC, UP-Cebu, University of San Carlos, DOST, OCD, DOH), within Central Visayas.

𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬!

Kay Dinhi Sa Sotto, Kalidad Nga Serbisyo, Among Garbo!

VSMMC-HEDMU completes the Hospitals Safe From Disaster (HSFD) Training and DRRM-H Workshop.

More than 100 DRRM-H practitioners and Hospital ERT Members from 21 Hospitals gathered together at the VSMMC Auditorium for the 4-Day training on HSFD last March 3-6, 2026.

21 Hospitals are composed of 4 DOH-retained hospitals from Cebu and Bohol, 16 Provincial and District Hospitals under Cebu Province, and the Region’s Apex Hospital - and the host of the acivity, the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Facilitated and Organized by DOH CVCHD, the said training aims to capacitate the Hospitals in Central Visayas, in preparing and responding to disasters and emergencies - learning from the recent experiences of the Bogo City Earthqauke and Typhoon Tino in 2025.

Kay dinhi sa Sotto, kalidad nga Sebisyo, among Garbo!

𝐕𝐒𝐌𝐌𝐂’𝐬 𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 (𝐀𝐓𝐒) 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫!

With its “ATS + GPS” capability, VSMMC elevates its Patient and Emergency Transport Services—maximizing efficiency, strengthening fleet reliability, and enhancing inter-unit coordination to ensure timely and responsive care delivery.

Every transport matters!
Every second counts!

Kay dinhi sa Sotto, Kalidad nga Serbisyo Among Garbo!

Viva Pit Senyor!

VSMMC - HEDMU joins the Send-off Ceremony in line with the 461st Fiesta Señor and Sinulog 2026, today at the Cebu City Sports Complex.

VSMMC together with all other health facilities, government agencies and Medical Volunteers are united in ensuring a safe, peaceful and successful Fiesta Señor and Sinulog Celebration!