Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Sunday, April 4, appealed to the government task force against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to expedite the construction and expansion of more modular facilities and tents equipped with isolation and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds to cater particularly to those with severe conditions.

Go made the call as public and private hospitals in the National Capital Region (NCR) and in nearby provinces of Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan are now running at critical or near-capacity as the number of COVID-19 infections continue to rise.

The Senate Committee on Health and Demography chair said that, while the government continues to provide more isolation facilities for people with mild and moderate COVID-19 cases, authorities should consider creating more facilities that can handle those with severe and critical conditions. 

“In order to maximize our resources, I urge the government to identify locations where we can install these modular facilities and tents equipped with ICU beds, or existing structures that can be transformed into temporary health facilities to accommodate severe COVID-19 cases,” Go said in a statement.

“We need to double our efforts in order to reduce further the waiting time for patients needing urgent treatment or admission, provide faster medical transport and patient pick-up, and facilitate much improved use of critical care services in our health facilities,” he said. 

Go also stressed the need to augment the number of medical frontliners, particularly in critical areas where a significant number of them are already overwhelmed and or also infected with COVID-19.

The senator lauded the efforts of nurses in the Visayas who expressed their willingness to be deployed to the NCR “Plus” areas to help augment the medical workforce.

“Patunay lamang po ito na sa kabila ng pandemya, malakas pa rin ang diwa ng bayanihan sa bansa, (This is proof that despite the pandemic, the spirit of unity still prevails in this country),” Go said.

“I appeal to our health workers in other parts of the country with lower COVID-19 cases to also be ready to extend help in critical areas. In these trying times, we need a whole-of-nation approach to fully overcome this pandemic,” he said. 

“Bawat isa sa atin ay may tungkulin sa kapwa, sa ating komunidad, at sa ating bayan.  Lahat tayo ay dapat maging bahagi ng solusyon. Laging tandaan na ang ating kooperasyon, bayanihan, at malasakit sa kapwa ay makapagliligtas ng buhay ng kapwa nating Pilipino (Each of us have an obligation to our fellowmen, to our community, to our nation. We all need to be part of the solution.. we need to remember that cooperation, unity and showing concern can save the lives of our fellowmen),” the lawmaker emphasized.