28.4 C
Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

4:40 PM

28.4 C
Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

4:40 PM

CDO requests 3 more isolation facilities for COVID-19 response

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)–The Regional Inter Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (RIATF-EID) already passed Resolution No. 119 series of 2020 or the request to add three more isolation facilities in Cagayan de Oro due to the increasing coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 cases. 

“Na’y prosposal ang Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to its Central Office nga pagtukod ug tulo ka isolation facilties. Kini base sa report sa Department of Health (DOH) nga kulang ang isolation facilities sa dakbayan,” Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-10 Assistant Regional Director Yvette Tolentino-Sunga said during the NorMin COVID-19 Response Task Force press conference, October 2. 

(There is a proposal of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to its Central Office to build three isolation facilities. This, after the Department of Health (DOH) reported that the city still lacks isolation facilities) 

Sunga added that DILG-10 Regional Director Arnel Agabe already tapped National Task Force on COVID-19 Chief Implementer Sec. Carlito Galvez, Jr. on the said request and the latter prompted Isolation Czar Sec. Mark Villar to prioritize Cagayan de Oro City so as to aid in managing the increasing local transmission cases in the area. 

The pre-determined isolation facilities will be built in Upper Puerto and Barangay Macasandig, with 20 and 30-bed capacity, respectively.

DPWH also plans to build isolation facilities at Barangay Lunotan, Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental with 37-bed capacity; Talairon, Oroquieta City, and Misamis Occidental with 90-bed capacity.  

For Misamis Oriental, DOH-10 Regional Director Dr. Adriano Suba-an said since the OWWA Misamis Oriental Provincial Hospital in Alubjid is really a temporary treatment and monitoring facilitiy (TTMF), they are looking for ways to strengthen its capacity.  

He added that they are coordinating with the Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental, DPWH, and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to develop the area as it can srategically aid in COVID-19 response being able to handle 50 patients.  

“DOH will still sit with MisOr LGU to determine if the facility will handle locally stranded individual (LSI)/ returning overseas Filipino (ROF) positive cases, mild or asymptomatic patients, healthcare workers’ facility or a step down facility for the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC),” Suba-an said. 

With the increasing number of local transmission, Suba-an urged the local officials to learn from other areas like Cebu where the latter really pushed it to the barangay level.  

“The barangays must be empowered and provided with resources. They should have active Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) as well as they must boost their TTMFs and contact tracing system. They should be guided to make everyone responsible and accountable in this time of health crisis.,” Suba-an added. 

As of October, the region has recorded a total of 2,907 confirmed cases of COVID-19 of which 1,643 have recovered, 78 have expired, and 1,186 are recovering. (RTP/PIA10)