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Doctors appeal for tighter curbs in Bicol, but DILG says IATF may consider only Legazpi for MECQ

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AS doctors, nurses, and health-care professionals in all six provinces in the Bicol region appeal for stricter quarantine rules, an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said given the numbers, only Legazpi City would be qualified for modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

An average of 183 cases daily have been logged in the region with Camarines Sur, Albay, and Sorsogon being the top 3 provinces with the most number of cases.

Health-care workers’ capacity is also affected by the high rate of Covid infection that compound the situation wherein most hospitals are understaffed, undermanned even before the pandemic. They warned that if the situation is not addressed, what is happening in India “is not far behind.”

Sought for reaction, DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, concurrent spokesperson of Interior  Secretary Eduardo Año via text message said the appeal from Bicol health professionals through a letter to the DILG chief is now being considered by the IATF.

“I personally don’t have a copy [of the letter].  I was just told of the contents.  It’s now being considered by the IATF but given the numbers, only Legaspi would be qualified for MECQ,” he said.

In their letter dated June 14, 2021, the presidents of 5 medical associations, namely, Carlsen B. Antonio of Albay Medical Society, Susana Baesa of Camarines Sur Medical Society, Eloisa E. Pornillos of the Philippine College of Physicians-Bicol Rufo T. Llorin and Ricardo Isip, Governor-Elect and Interim Governor, respectively of the Philippine Medical Association-Bicol, expressed alarm over the high rate of infection in all six provinces of Bicol and enumerated the possible causes.

The Bicol doctors said what is apparent is that there is localized transmission sweeping in most areas of the provinces in Bicol and attributed these to the laxity in the implementation of the minimum health standards in a number of major business establishments, inadvertent lenient application of minimum health standards in LGUs, disregarded IATF regulations set by the DILG by some local officials; the slow inaccessible, and inadequate testing and much slower and poor contact tracing efforts being conducted at the local level; unconducive and congested isolation and quarantine facilities of LGUs, and lack of personal protective equipment of health workers security, and monitoring staff.

They suggested that private companies and national or local agencies be allowed to provide their own isolation and quarantine facilities for their own personnel.

They suggested that all positive cases, especially mild and asymptomatic ones, must be isolated in a dedicated Covid recovery and recuperation facility, augmentation of healthcare workers not just in public and government hospitals, but in private hospitals as well to expand their capacity to admit more Covid patients.

Also, they said that the possibility of reverse isolation wherein members of the family who is negative for Covid are separated from the other family members who are positive of the virus and are instead isolated in a designated accommodation must be explored.

Meanwhile, in determining the available beds for Covid cases, the signatories of the letter said only the beds for hospitals that admit and accommodate Covid patients must be accounted for.

Lastly, they suggested that concerned officials consult and heed the advice of medical experts and healthcare professionals.

“The current situation in the region is untenable, given that Bicol has a minimal number of hospitals dedicated to Covid19 cases.  Currently, its three major referral hospitals are operating at 100 percent utilization of its Covid ICU and isolation beds.  This has prompted the local health authorities to limit admittance to the said Covid 19 referral hospitals namely: the Bicol Medical Center, Bicol Region General Hospital, Geniatric Medical Center, and the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital,” they said in their letter. 

Read full article on BusinessMirror

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