Red Cross assisted 1,225 persons on Papal Mass in Luneta

Philippine Red Cross (PRC) volunteers tend to over a thousand cases on Pope Francis’ concluding mass in Luneta on Sunday, January 18. (PRC Facebook page)

MANILA –The Philippine Red Cross said Monday morning that it had assisted a total of 1,225 persons at the Holy Mass officiated by Pope Francis at the Quirino Grandstand Sunday.

PRC Operations Center reported that as of 8 a.m. Monday, 551 mass goers availed of blood pressure check.

The volunteers and staff of PRC spread in the health stations and emergency clinics also treated minor cases of dizziness, hyperventilation, nose bleeding, abrasions, fever and body pain to 415 individuals.

About 158 patients, who suffered major cases such as difficulty of breathing, hypertension, hypothermia, chest pain, asthma and fracture were also included in the list of those that availed from PRC service.

The PRC also assisted in transporting 36 patients to nearby hospitals, including the PRC emergency field hospital located at the CCP Complex.

Welfare desks received 65 cases such as tracing missing children and referral to other agencies

In an interview with the PNA, PRC chairman Richard Gordon, said PRC had served a total of 1,928 people during the period of Papal activities in the country, 857 of whom availed of blood pressure monitoring, 752 treated for minor injuries like dizziness, chest pain difficulty of breathing due to asthma, fracture etc.

Gordon added that a total of 171 people were assisted in major injuries while a total of 64 people were assisted in transporting them to the hospitals through the ambulances that they readied to accommodate the needy patients.

Some of those that were transported to hospitals were due to asthma attack, difficulty of breathing, body stiffness, vomiting, pulseless and those hit by some fallen debris.

He added that about 84 people were rendered service in the form of welfare assistance like assisting of locating the whereabouts of their loss companions.

He said that those who sought blood pressure monitoring were the patients that suffered signs of elevated blood pressure, nape pain and headache.

In Manila alone, a total of 29 health stations were prepositioned by PRC to assist in emergency and give first aid treatment to vulnerable sectors in their effort to prevent injuries and to help and serve the public as well.