Doctors group to Cebuanos: Cooperate in fight against COVID-19

CEBU CITY, Philippines – A group of physicians based in Cebu is calling for the public to cooperate in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Philippine College of Physicians – Central Visayas (PCP-CV) chapter made this statement in a position paper issued on Sunday, June 14 on the recent COVID-19 developments in Cebu.

“Our calling has been put to test with the magnitude of this pandemic…We urge everybody to seriously take part in this social responsibility, and once and for all, show utmost cooperation and love for Cebu,” read portions of the doctors group’s position paper.

PCP-CV urged individuals to comply with existing health standards and protocols such as the proper wearing of masks, physical distancing, hand hygiene, homestay, and self-surveillance to help flatten the curve of COVID-19 transmission.

“The most effective way to desaturate the hospitals and significantly push COVID transmission down to controllable levels is for Cebuanos to abide by the standard measures recommended by DOH (Department of Health) and IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) to minimize contact rate,” it said.

At the same time, the group is also calling for public officials to provide occupational safety and good health among healthcare workers battling the pandemic at the frontlines.

“We need to ensure that we are made free from threats of the virus itself, policies, and legislation that would run counter to the service we aim to provide. The college hopes for occupational safety and good health among our exhausted frontliners. We commend their unwavering commitment to duty despite the overwhelming load and challenges,” they added.

PCP-CV also appealed for ‘accurate and transparent’ reporting of COVID-19 cases in Cebu.

“We also support the accurate and transparent reporting of cases. The truthful reporting of information will spike awareness and vigilance among the public,” they added.

PCP-CV’s position paper came a few days after reports of both government and privately owned hospitals in Metro Cebu have started running out of beds due to a rise in COVID-19 admissions.

“With the recent rise in low to high-risk COVID-19 admissions, functional manpower is as integral as medical therapy and hospital facilities (beds, critical care machines, and personal protective equipment),” their statement read.

READ MORE: As patients crowd hospitals, Cebu City urges public to utilize quarantine centers

PCP-CV is composed of 900 physicians who specialize in adult medical care throughout Cebu. /dbs