ILIGAN CITY (PIA) — To prevent the spread of the dreaded coronavirus, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has installed portable handwashing stations at the quarantine control points of Iligan City and at the provincial hospitals of Lanao del Norte.
This personal sanitation facility has a sink, 200-liter plastic water drum, and liquid soap dispenser.
In Iligan City, the handwashing stations are set-up alongside the decontaminated shower tents already deployed by DPWH-Lanao del Norte 2nd District Engineering Office (DEO) last month.
“This is another layer of protection for both our frontliners and the people of Iligan who will be using these stations. Proper handwashing remains to be our best strategy in preventing the spread of the virus”, said District Engineer Alykhan Ali.
There are three handwashing stations installed in the boundary checkpoints of Iligan located in barangays Abuno, Dalipuga and Buruun. For Lanao del Norte, the handwashing stations are set-up in Kauswagan Provincial Hospital, Kolambugan Provincial Hospital and Baroy Provincial Hospital.
According to health experts, proper handwashing not only reduces the spread of the coronavirus but also the spread of other viral illnesses such as colds and flu. It also reduces the risk of getting other highly contagious infections such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome).
When soap and water are not readily available, the use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol is the next best option. (DPWH/VNL-PIO)
