LAGUINDINGAN, Misamis Oriental, (PIA)–After roughly a month of serving the sick in Tondo, Manila and Tanauan, Batangas, the third and fourth batches of frontline healthcare worker-volunteers have returned home safely last May via Philippine Airline Flight PR 2519.
“Our 20 volunteers coming from Tondo Medical Center and Daniel Mercado Medical Center have arrived and all of their RT-PCR tests were negative. However, we will still place them under quarantine for 14 days to make sure that no one of them has been infected or carrying the virus to our region,” Dr. David Mendoza of the Department of Health (DOH)-10 Local Health Support Division chief said.
A happy feeling is visible in every eye of the volunteers as they are now back in the region and soon to be reunited with their respective families after their quarantine period.
Despite the danger, they volunteered themselves to augment the already exhausted health workers in Manila and Luzon. But, they showed no regrets and are willing to render the same services there again.
Although one of them had been infected by the virus, the morale of the group did not change, Dr. Mendoza shared.
The one who got infected only experienced mild symptoms and was discharged from quarantine after 14 days.
“Nothing had changed in their morale – which means that despite all the hardships they went through, their response is good,” Mendoza said.
Meanwhile, DOH-10 is now assessing the situation of the region due to the rising COVID cases and putting on hold the sending of volunteers to the National Capital Region. Volunteers are now being reserved for other hospitals in the region in case the admission will continue to increase and they need augmentation of personnel. (JAKA/PIA10)
