MISAMIS ORIENTAL (PIA)–A province-wide community quarantine is in the offing for Misamis Oriental, as provincial and city health offices together with local chief executives come up with concrete protocols for its implementation.
Carlo Dugaduga, provincial information officer, in an interview said they are in the process of coming up with concrete protocols prior to the declaration of community quarantine for the entire province.
Dugaduga said, “This is necessary to have one direction in the implementation of a province-wide community quarantine, which covers all municipalities and two cities in the province.”
“Since Mayor Oscar Moreno has opened for possible joint community quarantine, this is beneficial to the province, as passing through borders will be easier especially for townspeople getting medical services in Cagayan de Oro City,” he pointed out.
He shared, the governor wants a smooth flow of traffic and transport of food and goods in and out of the province.
“Since the passing of P40, a COVID-19 positive patient confined at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC), the governor saw the necessity of protection of health workers in the medical facility,” Dugaduga added.
By declaring the province under the state of calamity, Governor Emano has donated P1 million cash to Dr. Jose Chan, medical director of NMMC, as assistance to doctors and nurses attending to COVID-19 patients.
“This way, they can immediately buy personal protective equipment (PPE) should the need arise,” the governor stressed, as he emphasized that nurses and health workers are at the frontlines who need to be protected.
The provincial government also urges to decongest NMMC by catering to COVID positive patients only.
Dugaduga said the province’s district hospitals can accommodate other health concerns such as newborn delivery and other medical services.
As to COVID-19 information campaign in the barangays, Dugaduga revealed that the Provincial Health Office (PHO) has been conducting information drive at the barangay level even when the disease was still called NCoV.
Dugaduga urged the people to limit social interaction, as the virus is transmitted from person-to-person. “And barangay participation is needed in this time of health crisis,” he concluded. (JMOR/PIA10)
