By Leslie Ann Aquino
Workers group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) has called on the Department of Health to provide government hospitals with personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD).
TUCP President Raymond Mendoza
(TUCP Party-List / MANILA BULLETIN)
TUCP president Raymond Mendoza issued the call after a network of public sector doctors, nurses, and public health workers complained about the inadequate supply of PPE that they can use at select government hospitals.
“A network of some doctors, nurses, public health workers, and health care personnel working in several government hospitals have sworn they will always perform their duty but expressed they seriously felt vulnerable to risk of exposure to the virus due to inadequate supply of standard personal protective equipment in some government hospitals where they work,” he said.
Mendoza said as first responders to person under investigation (PUI) and with potential symptoms of the virus, they said they have no feedback after they submitted last week an inventory to the concerned government unit of the needed supply of gloves, N95 face masks, eye protection goggles and respirators to reduce the risk of inhaling hazardous airborne particles and infectious agents.
“In behalf of these health professionals who play a critical role in identifying, reporting, and managing potential cases of novel corona virus infection, we call on the government, particularly the DOH, the provincial, city and municipal local government units to provide government hospitals with the right personal protective equipment needed in minimizing the spread of the virus,” he said.
The Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday reported the first 2019-nCoV ARD-related death in the country.