DOH denies report cadaver bags were not immediately distributed after Yolanda

The Department of Health denied that cadaver bags were not immediately distributed to areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda after the super storm swept through Central and Eastern Visayas.

"We immediately augmented the need nila doon. I don't think there was an issue about the availability of cadaver bags at that time," said department spokesperson Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy in an interview on GMA News TV's Balitanghali.



The Commission on Audit released a special report on Yolanda relief operations, which indicated that 27,808 cadaver bags were not distributed on time. "[T]hus, retrieved dead bodies were exposed for a long time, creating additional hazard to the health of the victims and disaster responders," the report said.

It added that a total of 24,300 cadaver bags remained unutilized as of December 31, 2013.

However, according to the same television report, only about 5,000 cadaver bags are left at the DOH's central warehouse.

The report quoted Health officials as saying most of their cadaver bags have been prepositioned for different regions in the country.

It also added that more than 8,000 cadaver bags were distributed to Yolanda-hit areas on November 12, 2013.

However, on November 13, Tacloban City Mayor Albert Romualdez said a lack of body bags is hindering the collection of decomposing bodies in the city.

Typhoon Yolanda barreled across the central Philippines on November 8, 2013, killing more than 6,300 people. — Amanda Fernandez/BM, GMA News