CARE FOR FRONTLINERS. Bedding and mattresses are delivered to the Iloilo City Community College serving as a dormitory for health personnel caring for persons under investigations (PUIs) in various hospitals in the city. Several health workers were disallowed to stay in their boarding houses after it was known that the hospitals they worked for have admitted PUIs. (Photo by Matty Treñas)
ILOILO CITY – Businessmen from Iloilo pooled their resources to acquire test kits for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) from South Korea and those kits developed by the University of the Philippines (UP).
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, in a press conference Monday, said the acquisition of 2,500 pieces of test kits that will cost PHP5.5 million is now being finalized.
Henry Chusuey of the Hennan Group of Resorts will shoulder PHP3.5 million while the Que Family, owner of Iloilo Supermart shares PHP1 million, and another PHP1 million from Edgar “Injap” Sia.
The mayor said the businessmen were “kind enough” to help the city, adding that the money will not pass through the local government but will be paid directly to the South Korean supplier.
Moreover, the city government has set aside PHP1.6 million for the purchase of UP-developed kits once it gets accreditation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The amount will be taken from the donation of businessmen Tony Jon, Manuel Po and the owner of the Unitop.
We prepare kits for the city so that when there are suspected cases, then we provide this as available to everyone, he said.
On Sunday, two registered medical technologists flew to Manila to undergo a one-week training at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in preparation for the opening of the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) as a sub-national laboratory.
The city is on enhanced community quarantine to limit mobility and ensure social distancing. Barangays have been instructed to issue quarantine pass to households in case they need to go out to secure for their essential needs.
“Let us all understand, we have a problem with mobility except for some essential establishments because we want to make sure that everyone is safe. We have to give up a little of our freedom for the health and security of everyone,” Treñas said.
To augment the need of city residents, the city government has already provided food assistance to 62 barangays as of the evening of March 23. The release of rice, noodles and canned goods is continuous, Treñas added.
Moreover, a community kitchen has been established in day-care centers. The day-care center associations cook the food being made available to everyone. “We will continue to provide food assistance,” he said.
The first wave of assistance came from the businessmen. The second wave will be from the city government expected to be delivered on Wednesday. There will also be a third wave that will be released as soon as they are available.
For transportation, 30 buses have been deployed by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for travelers while three modern jeepneys were for the exclusive use of health personnel.
Meantime, to address the discrimination of health workers of hospitals catering to patients under investigation (PUIs), the city government has identified the Iloilo City Community College as their temporary dormitory.
Some health workers were refused entry to their boarding house after it was learned that the hospital where they are working have admitted PUIs.
They have been provided with folding beds, mattresses and food from various donors.
The city government will also be acquiring 1,000 additional personal protective equipment (PPE) to be given to personnel assigned at the city hall ambulance that is dedicated to pick-up PUIs.
If there are excess, then it will be given to other hospitals in the city.
“We want all our health personnel to be fully protected,” the mayor said.
The latest data from the city disaster risk reduction and management council emergency operation center showed that the city has 1,610 PUMs (persons under monitoring) and 41 PUIs.
The first Covid-19 positive PUI in Iloilo came from the town of Guimbal. (PNA)
