Medical equipment such as these hi-flow nasal cannula machines were purchased by the Cebu Provincial Government to aid hospitals in accommodating COVID-19 patients with moderate to severe symptoms of the infection. | Photo from Sugbo News
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Cebu Provincial Government spend around P26 million to boost the capacities of province-owned hospitals in responding to the surge of COVID-19 infections.
The Capitol, through its media arm Sugbo News, reported spending P25.5 million in medicines and medical equipment intended for all 16 provincial and district hospitals here catering to COVID-19 cases.
Breakdown
The Province spent around P12.8 million for the purchase of 20 hi-flow nasal cannula machines and their corresponding consumables, and rental of mechanical ventilators to aid patients with moderate and severe symptoms of the disease.
These machines were deployed to the four Provincial Hospital – Balamban, Bogo City, Carcar City, and Danao City, and to the district hospitals in Bantayan, Camotes, and Minglanilla.
The Capitol also shelled a total of P7.1 million for the purchase of 40-liter, medical-grade oxygen tanks for hospitals and operating isolation facilities in the province, and another P4.3 million for COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits and pulse oximeters.
“The Integrated Provincial Health Office monitors the hospitals’ and TTMFs’ medicine consumption to ensure continuous supply,” the Capitol said.
“Aside from hospitals, the Province also allocated funds for salaries of one doctor and either two nursing aides or two midwives that local government units will hire to man their TTMFs (Temporary Treatment Monitoring Facilities),” they added.
From Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ), Cebu province shifted under a stricter ‘General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions’ since August 1.
But 11 of its localities reverted to a more stringent Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).
This after the province continued to experience a spike in COVID-19 cases, which experts both from local and national said could have been caused by the more highly transmissible Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID.
RELATED STORIES
Capitol sends more medicines, equipment to hospitals
Mandatory use of air purifiers in Cebu province postponed
/ dcb