ILOILO City – At least 50 uniformed doctors and nurses will be deployed to different hospitals here to augment their exhausted medical staff.
“This may not be the job of our uniformed personnel but they are our best recourse now,” said Director Jose Roberto Nuñez of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6.
Iloilo City is currently facing a significant surge in cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and hospital beds are running out.
“Nagapasalamat gid ako, sa ngalan sang Syudad sang Iloilo kag tanan nga pumoluyo, sa aton uniformed medical personnel sa inyo nga pagtindog para magbulig man sa aton syudad,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas.
As of yesterday, Treñas said, 193 COVID-positive patients were being waitlisted in hospitals.
The city mayor cited the case of a call center agent from Iloilo province who passed away in the emergency room of a hospital here.
“I am very sad that the agent had to go to several hospitals but could not be admitted due to lack of available COVID beds. The second wave is strong and it is real. The hospitals are full and it is real!” Treñas lamented.
Yesterday, the Regional Task Force 6 also led by Nuñez, together with Regional Inter-Agency Task Force chairperson, Director Juan Jovian Ingeniero of the Department of Interior and Local Government Region 6, spearheaded the “Orientation and Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding” between the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), Bureau of Fire Protection 6 (BFP-6) and the Coast Guard District Western Visayas for the deployment of uniformed medical personnel.
BFP-6 committed to deploy 40 uniformed medical personnel (10 personnel per week); six personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard 6 and at least four from PRO-6.
These uniformed personnel are apart from the 38 nurses hired by DOH-6.
Nuñez thanked the heads of the government agencies who, without hesitation, answered the call to help Iloilo City.
“Despite the limited funds, if there’s a will to help, we can always find ways to do so,” said Nuñez.
Held at Smallville21 Hotel here, PRO-6 regional director Police Brigadier General Rolando Miranda, BFP-6 regional director Fire Senior Supt Jerry Candido, and PCG-6 Deputy Commander Captain Erlinda Benliro represented their respective offices.
In another development, the PRO-6 through its Regional Personnel and Records Management Division will be sending 12 nurses and a medical doctor to help the city in its vaccination rollout, according to Miranda.
“The orders were issued earlier because we have foreseen the need. We have issued detailed orders immediately after receiving the task force’s request. We are very much willing to send our nurses to help one another during this time of pandemic,” Miranda said.
The police director said PRO-6 is supportive of the RTF in ensuring that there are adequate healthcare workers that can provide quality health services to COVID-19 and other patients in need of medical care and attention this time of pandemic./PN
