CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—A group of Scout Rangers has lauded this city’s medical practitioners for their role in providing crucial medical assistance in treating wounded soldiers and saving the lives of dozens of their colleagues.
Lt. Col. Montano Almodovar, commanding officer of the 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion, said the “excellent performance” of surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and other medical professionals in the city was key in minimizing the number of casualties on the government side during the Marawi crisis.
Col. Almodovar’s unit was credited over the deaths of Marawi City siege leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute.
However, the military official said credit is also due to medical practitioners in both government and private-run hospitals who provided their services to government troops throughout the five-month Marawi siege.
“From helicopter, the wounded were landed at Camp Evangelista and driven immediately to the military hospital. Others were taken care of by other civilian hospitals, both public and private,” Almodovar said during a recent testimonial dinner tendered to the Ranger battalion here.
Almodovar said most of the soldiers who perished in the hospital died of blood loss.
“Hindi na talaga kinaya ang blood transfusion. But those who survived did so because our doctors here in CDO,” he added.
Almodovar also thanked a group of people who were instrumental in adopting the families of those recuperating from their wounds. In particular, he thanked the members of the Xavier University High School Batch ’90 and their relatives for allowing the wounded soldiers and their families to stay in their homes while the troops were recuperating.
Based in Basilan, the 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion joined the Battle for Marawi in late May. (PNA/Mark D. Francisco)
