SURVIVOR. Ariel Hernandez, a former Anak Mindanao Party-list representative, recounts his 28-day ordeal as a Covid-19 patient during an interview in Cagayan de Oro City on Wednesday (Sept. 23, 2020). He is currently the special assistant to Sec. Carlito Galvez, Chief Implementer of the National Policy Against Covid-19. (Photo courtesy of Roel Hernandez, Cagayan de Oro City Information Office)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- A former party-list lawmaker who survived the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is urging the public not to be embarrassed, follow health protocols, and immediately seek medical attention if they manifest symptoms of the contagious disease.
Ariel Hernandez, former Anak Mindanao party-list representative who recently survived Covid-19, said he decided to come out as one of the human faces behind the number of cases recorded in the city so he can share his experience to the public.
"If you are Covid positive, there's nothing to be ashamed. If you do, you will hide your information and then no one can help you," Hernandez said in vernacular Wednesday.
Another reason for coming out as a survivor, he said, was to encourage the public not to live in fear and for residents to go about their normal lives while being always mindful of minimum health standards.
Local residents, he said, should place their trust on the measures put in places by the city government, which he described as "efficient".
"There are isolation facilities; these may not be perfect but very good enough," he said.
Hernandez, who is the special assistant to Sec. Carlito Galvez, Chief Implementer of the National Policy Against Covid-19 , recounted his 28-day experience suffering from Covid-19.
On Tuesday, Mayor Oscar Moreno said that another temporary treatment management facility (TTMF) will be set up in an undisclosed location in response to the growing number of local Covid-19 cases in the city.
"We are doing everything we can (here in the city). We thank Polymedic Plaza for donating 25 beds for the city´s Covid-19 patients. We will run this facility like an infirmary and it will be assisted by JR Borja General Hospital (JRBGH). That was the commitment of (JRBGH chief) Dr. (Ramon) Nery," Moreno said during Tuesday noon´s press briefing.
Moreno said the facility is close enough in proximity to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) in the event that patients need immediate medical attention.
He emphasized the necessity for the region´s local governments to protect NMMC from being overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients by absorbing mild to moderate cases for quarantine.
Aside from setting up more city isolation units and TTMFs, the City Health Office (CHO) is also aggressively promoting the city´s teleconsultation program, in which city residents and even those outside the city can seek medical consultation through Facebook, Viber, and even text message.
The city´s top private hospitals along with NMMC and JRBGH are participating in the program.
As of Wednesday, the city's Covid-19 cases now have a cumulative total of 614, with 366 recoveries, 222 active cases, and 26 deaths. (PNA)
