MikeLigalig.com

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) has assured the city government here that it has been strictly following protocols in handling coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients from other areas at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC).

The DOH issued the statement late Wednesday, hours after Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez raised concern over the transfer of Covid-19 infected persons to the regional health facility in the city.

“The problem is that these Covid-19 positive are residents of areas outside Tacloban, but they are presently at EVRMC. I don’t see the logic why they have to bring patients with mild symptoms to Tacloban. That can be handled by isolation facilities of local government units and provincial hospitals,” Romualdez said in a press briefing.

DOH regional director Minerva Molon said based on existing guidelines, Covid-19 patients with other serious illnesses should be admitted to a level 3 hospital such as the EVRMC.

The region only has two level 3 hospitals or tertiary hospital which can provide all the services. The other one is the privately-owned Divine Word Hospital, also located in the city.

“Five of the six confirmed cases in the region have co-morbidities such as asthma, hypertension, and diabetes. This is the reason why they were transported to the referral hospital. They need close monitoring and proper management,” Molon stated.

Of the six cases in the region, only two are confined at the old EVRMC on Magsaysay Boulevard, less than a kilometer from city’s commercial district. The other four patients already recovered and were discharged.

These patients are from Catarman, Northern Samar; Calbayog City, Samar; Tarangnan, Samar; and Burauen, Leyte.

For Romualdez, transferring all Covid-19 patients to the city is a major setback to the city’s aim to bring normalcy amid the health crisis.

The city with a population of about 250,000 people in the regional capital of Eastern Visayas is home to major universities, malls, banks, and other big businesses.

For humanitarian reasons, the city government will allow the entry of patients with severe symptoms, Romualdez said.

“With this situation, the risk of transmitting the virus to our health workers is high. I am worried that health workers in Tacloban may catch the virus from this patient,” he added.

The mayor urged local government units outside the city to strengthen the capacity of their health facilities in handling Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms and those probable and suspected virus carriers.

“While we still have Covid-19 at EVRMC, it’s hard to lift movement restrictions in Tacloban, thus paralyzing the operation of our universities, financial institutions, and other businesses,” Romualdez said.

The mayor said he will formally ask Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to consider his request.

The DOH assured the mayor that it adheres to the guidelines provided by the DOH central office as recommended by the World Health Organization, mandating level 3 hospitals to prioritize the management of confirmed Covid-19 cases and suspected carriers with severe or critical symptoms, with other serious illness, and elderlies as referred from other hospitals.

All the DOH specialist physicians, pulmonologists, and infectious diseases capable of handling Covid-19 cases are in EVRMC.

The EVRMC is following the infectious protective control measure in the transport of patients with Covid-19. The staff transporting the patient is trained in infectious control such as wearing of personal protective equipment and secured a division between the driver of the ambulance and the patient.

After the transport, the ambulance and the equipment used are disinfected.

After the patient is transported to the referral hospital, he or she will not be allowed to bring someone to look after him or her during confinement.

Patients will be discharged from the hospital once their conditions improve with the assessment of the physician in charge and if the repeat swab will turn negative for the virus. (PNA)



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