EDITORIAL
PPE's
will provide some degree of protection.
Hospitals actually have a stock of PPEs usually a set of caps, masks, lab gownsfor staff who may be at risk of infection or are supposedly in sterile areas such as delivery (DR) and operating rooms (OR). Some PPEs are made of materials that are reusable. They just have to undergo sterilization via autoclave machines. Autoclave machines are hightemperature, high-pressure machines used for medical sterilization.
In public hospitals, autoclaving used gloves, masks and OR gowns is common practice. However, again, only certain materials are aut ocl avabl e.
In the time of Covid-19, there is high demand for PPEs since incoming referrals are considered potential carriers. If our front liners are using disposal PPEs, which are expensive but are more ideal, these will have to be disposed of at the end of the day. They will be considered hazardous hospital waste.
Philippine Medical Association
vice president Dr. Benito Atienza said the Philippines has enough doctors, at roughly, 120,000, excluding those working abroad. But the biggest challenge is providing them with adequate PPEs.
The network of fabrication laboratories in the Philippines, those that became part of the Department of Trade and Industry's project to supposedly help the sector of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSMEs), have taken initiative to mass-produce face masks to be donated to our medical frontliners. The production has been so fast with the easily replicable template.
Meanwhile, volunteers from the fashion industry are also now in the thick of mass producing head covers and masks for the frontliners. In an Instagram post, renowned fashion designer Michael Leyva shared photographs of his team in the thick of producing PPEs. Another group called Manila Protective Gear Sewing Club is now sending out PPE sets via the Office of the Vice President
Similar initiatives are most welcome in Cebu, and must be done as quickly as possible while we are still poised for the long haul.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed on March 20 the arrival of PPEs donated by the Chinese government.
With the Covid-19 claiming the lives of front line doctors in the capital, the community must gear up as well.---Sunnex