The local government procured 2,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) that have been distributed to private and public hospitals.
Recently, there have been reports about the shortage of PPE supplies in the city. Medical personnel and health officials have appealed for donations to narrow the gap.
Dr. Roy Ferrer, Department of Health (DOH) assistant secretary of health field implementation and coordinating team for Visayas and Mindanao, in a previous interview said that PPEs are needed by these medical workers as they are the frontliners who are currently battling the deadly COVID-19.
“We have to provide PPEs for them. Some health workers are already worried for themselves for they may be contaminated with the virus without these supplies of PPEs. They are the ones who mostly interact with these COVID-19 patients. Providing them with PPEs can ease their fear that they may be infected with the virus,” he said.
Mayor Sara Duterte, in an interview with Davao City Disaster Radio on Tuesday, said that the acquired PPEs were purchased from China.
She said that the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) was given 600 ICU PPEs and 600 ordinary PPEs. They were endorsed to SPMC chief Dr. Leopoldo Vega.
The remaining 800 PPEs have been sent to some private hospitals in the city, prioritizing infectious disease personnel.
“We have provided them already with these protective gears. But we still have supplies to come,” she said.
She also said that Congressman Paolo Duterte also provided PPEs for SPMC health workers that will be good for a month. “Better, you can tell us to what unit or department (in the hospital who needs the PPEs), so that we can directly drop them off,” she added.
BY SAMANTHA BURGOS
ON MARCH 26, 2020
