KORONADAL CITY —November 20, 2025- The South Cotabato Provincial Hospital (SCPH) reaffirmed its readiness to respond to mass casualty incidents, emphasizing that its capability is reinforced not only through formal disaster training but also through the heavy demands of its daily emergency operations.
SCPH officials noted that the hospital handles more than a hundred patients each day, ranging from minor cases to critical emergencies.
This continuous volume, they said, mirrors the urgency and pace of large-scale disaster situations, allowing staff to develop the coordination and responsiveness required during real mass casualty events.
Maria Teonila Alberto, RN, Officer-in-Charge and Call Center Manager of the SCPH Nursing Service during the recent Mass Casualty Management (MCM) simulation, said the hospital’s preparedness stems from this daily reality.
“In a day, more than 100 patients, critical or not, enter the emergency room,” Alberto said.
“When you face that volume daily, every shift becomes training.Every decision becomes practice. And every staff member becomes a responder long before a disaster strikes.”
Alberto said SCPH maintains strong inter-departmental coordination, which becomes crucial when patient surges require augmentation from other units.
This system, strengthened through day-to-day operations, forms the backbone of their response during actual emergencies.
She added that SCPH nurses and staff are trained with the necessary skills to manage large-scale incidents.
“The nurses and staff are prepared. They undergo continuous training, and they show up with readiness every single day,” she said.
The recent MCM simulation tested the hospital’s readiness under controlled conditions involving multiple simulated victims, rapid triage, and time-sensitive interventions, scenarios that, according to Alberto, reflect the fast-paced environment SCPH faces regularly.
Amid public criticisms directed at healthcare workers, Alberto underscored the staff’s commitment to patient care.
“Despite the negative comments about the performance of our healthcare workers, we remain deeply committed to giving quality care to our patients,” she said.
“We are doing our best, every single day, in every case, in every situation.”
With the province continuing to strengthen disaster preparedness efforts, SCPH emphasized that readiness is built not only during scheduled simulations but also through the constant pressure of daily emergency care.
Hospital officials noted that the continuous volume of patients makes every day at SCPH function like a mass casualty event, heightening their preparedness for when real disasters occur.
