50% of requested brgy health workers’ protective gear has arrived
A suspected COVID-19-positive patient is being attended to by a special medical team in this simulation exercise which formed part of Cebu City’s measures in light of COVID-19. | CDN Digital file phot
CEBU CITY, Philippines — More than half of the personal protective equipment (PPE) has arrived for health workers of Cebu City’s barangays.
At a press conference, Councilor Dave Tumulak said over 50 percent of the PPEs they requested, which amounted to a total of P15 million, were already allocated to health workers in the barangays.
“Supplies such as PPEs have already arrived but not all of them. But we already received more than 50 percent,” Tumulak said in Cebuano.
It can be recalled that last February, the city council passed a resolution authorizing the purchase of PPE for front line health workers in the barangays.
Tumulak, who chairs the council’s committee on disaster and risk reduction and management, penned the resolution.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued a memorandum, directing local government units down to the barangay level to mobilize their health workers amid threats of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Tumulak said at this point, they would be prioritizing the welfare of frontline workers for COVID-19.
“We’re also urging health workers to stay focused on also protecting their own health,” he added.
President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire country under the state of Public Health Emergency after the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed local transmission on March 7.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 patients in the country now stands at 10.
Don’t share unverified info
DOH also instructed all local governments to prepare measures in anticipation of the worsening situation, specifically sustained community transmission.
For his part, Tumulak encouraged the public to refrain from circulating information not verified by DOH.
“The purpose of information dissemination is to educate the public and not to create panic. All information being shared must be sanctioned by DOH,” he added./dbs
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