The city government of Manila has stored enough supplies of oxygen tanks and antiviral drugs as it braces for possible surge of COVID-19 Delta variant cases, Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso said.
"Six hundred fifty-one na po ang ating naka-stock na tangke ng oxygen on top of our regular na ginagamit sa ating anim na ospital plus ‘yung ikapito nating COVID-19 hospital (We have 651 stocks of oxygen tanks on top of our regular use in our six district hospitals plus the 7th COVID-19 hospital)," Domagoso said in his weekly capital report on Friday (July 31).
The city government will continue to purchase and store oxygen tanks, according to Domagoso.
Domagoso added that the city government has thousands of supplies of the antiviral drugs remdesivir and tocilizumab.
"Kaya minabuti ng inyong lungsod na bumili ng mga ganitong uri ng gamot at 'yan ay nangyayari since last year at patuloy natin 'yan ginagawa every quarter (We bought these type of medicines since last year and every quarter) to keep our city, our medical facility updated, prepared; and we are ready for any eventualities because there are so many uncertainties in the COVID-19 pandemic," Domagoso said.
The Department of Health has detected cases of the more transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant in the country.
The city government has ordered various equipment for the intensive care unit (ICU) for its district hospitals that will help future COVID-19 patients in the city.
"Yung ating inorder bilang paghahanda sa Delta dala ng nangyari sa India (All that we have ordered were in line of our preparation against Dela due to what happened in India). I think we should learn from that lesson a few months ago -- pinaalalahanan na tayo ng ganong sitwasyon (We were warned of what will happen)," Domagoso said.