Health sector appeals to public to curb rise in Covid-19 cases
BONTOC, Mountain Province – Residents of the province are asked take the necessary precaution in a bid to help curb the increasing number of Covid – 19 infection in the province.
With the latest spike in Covid-19 cases and with the province recording its first Covid19- related death last week, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management ( PDRRM) Council through the Provincial Health Office ( PHO) and the PDRRM Office called for an emergency meeting among concerned health officers and personnel at the PHO Conference Hall December 6.
The meeting aimed to assess the human resource capacity in the capital town’s health facilities following the exposure of many health workers to confirmed cases.
It also aimed to unify national guidelines with the local guidelines to address the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the province.
In the meeting, Covid- 19 Provincial Incident Command System Information Officer Lian Safilo gave update on the Covid-19 cases.
Considering the observed clustering of Covid-19 cases in Bontoc, officials were one in appealing to the public to strictly adhere to the health protocols being implemented and for authorized persons outside residence to be more mindful of their movement to and from workplace to home and vice versa as a means of helping curb the positive cases in the province.
Furthermore, the body also requested to the PDRRMO for the provision of food and PPEs for the health workers who are now in isolation.
Authorities were also asked to coordinate with the Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital (LHMRH) for assistance for the dialysis patients who are seeking periodic assistance from the BoGH Dialysis Center and for DOH- CHD- CAR to augment the medical technologists in-charge of the BoGH COVID-19 ward.
Eduardo Calpito, LHMRH Medical Center Chief and the Department of Health – Cordillera Administrative Region positively responded to the request for human resource augmentation.
Meanwhile, PHO II Nenita Lizardo who presided over the meeting lauded the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center for the prompt release of RTPCR test results and further commended the firm action of the Bontoc Municipal Health Office (MHO) in dealing with the death case which helped mitigate the exposure of more people to the said case.
In attendance to the meeting were PHO I Carolyn Yawan, PDRRMO Edward Chumawar, Jr., Bontoc, Bontoc MHO Diga Kay Gomez, DepEd-Mountain Province Medical Officer IV April Dalome Peckley, BoGH Chief Nurse Constance Bandas and Supervising Administrative Officer Juanita Lampac, DOH – CAR Development Management Officer IV FOR Mountain Province Clint Gil Ildefonso and other personnel of the PHO, PDRRMO and BoGH.