Proper handling of quarantine facilities key to decongest hospitals
The efficient management of isolation and quarantine facilities will help decongest hospitals in Cebu City and enable their medical staff to better handle severe coronavirus cases, the deputy chief implementer of COVID-19 task force for the Visayas said.
Melquiades Feliciano, who is assisting Cebu coronavirus management overseer Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, said the system should be enhanced to decongest hospitals.
If mild and moderate cases are taken to these facilities, he said, doctors will be able to focus on serious COVID-19 patients brought to hospitals.
"Kailangan natin i-enhance ‘yung ating system para maiwasan ang pagdiretso ng tao sa hospitals. Mayroon tayong barangay isolation centers (BICs) and quarantine facilities. Kapag naayos natin ito, tiyak ang pagdecongest ang hospitals,” Feliciano said in a statement released by the Office of the Deputy Chief Implementer for Visayas.
The facilities, he said, are well-equipped and manned by experienced health workers who are capable of taking good care of their patients.
"Mayroon tayong health workers and medical frontliners na assigned sa mga isolation centers and quarantine facilities to care and attend to the needs of the patients,” Feliciano said.
MILITARIZING
Meanwhile, Feliciano, a retired major general, responded to claims made by activists that Cebu City is “militarizing” its approach in addressing the coronavirus pandemic.
He explained that COVID-19 is a medical issue, and the main task of the military and police is to strictly enforce the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) guidelines in the city which has seen a spike in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks.
"Medikal ang issue na ito. Doctors ang authority. Nandito lamang po ang military to support the health workers in the prevention of spread and management of patients,” Feliciano said.
He said that the military and police are deployed to ensure the implementation of the ECQ guidelines.
"Kahit ano pong gawin nating medical intervention, if people are violating the rules, the minimum health standards, hindi pa natin mai-stop ‘yung threat. The priority effort here is medical intervention. In fact, medical practitioners ang advisers natin,” he said.
Feliciano said that he welcomes suggestions as well as criticisms as these will help improve their work.
"We welcome suggestions and criticisms so as to improve our approaches. Marami rin namang magagandang suggestions at valid criticisms iyang mga ‘yan. Ito ay makakatulong para tama ang aming gawin,” he said.
Moreover, Feliciano expressed optimism that the health situation in the city will soon improve, as long as the “systems and protocols are in place and effectively implemented” by the local government.
"Nandito kami para tumulong. Gusto namin na at the soonest possible time mag-open na ang Cebu for livelihood. But right now, [the] lives of the Cebuanos are given more priority than livelihood," he said.