A total of 154 Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) nurses were deployed in the country’s 27 private hospitals to augment the shortage in hospital personnel as more health workers have been getting infected by the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).
DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya explained Wednesday, Sept. 29 that under the BFP's Nurse Deployment Program, 27 private hospitals are now utilizing the services of its nurses while seven other health institutions made similar requests for their services following the directive of Año.
“We want to assure the President that he can rely on the BFP in the augmentation of understaffed hospitals. On top of the currently deployed BFP nurses, we still have 14 remaining licensed nurses to be deployed,” Malaya said.
Out of the 154 BFP nurses deployed nationwide, 14 are currently assigned in Tuguegarao City People’s General Hospital in Cagayan Valley; 19 in Adventist Hospital in MIMAROPA; five in the Legazpi City COVID-19 Center in Bicol Region; 40 in Metro Iloilo Hospital and Medical Center Inc.; 20 in Dr. Rafael S. Tumbokon Memorial Hospital in Western Visayas; 19 in Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Hospital in Eastern Visayas; 10 in South Philippine Medical Center; and nine in Davao Oriental Provincial Hospital in Davao Region.
A total of 18 BFP nurses have been deployed in Metro Manila from August 31 with six working as vaccinators in Muntinlupa City Health Office, six assigned as vaccinators in Las Piñas City Health Office and six others dispatched as nurses in Medical Center Muntinlupa.
Under the deployment program, Malaya noted that the BFP will closely coordinate with the receiving hospitals regarding concerns of the deployed nurses, as well as coordinate with the deployed nurses pertaining to administrative concerns such as hazard pay and other benefits pursuant to the existing government rules and regulations.
In addition, Malaya said the BFP will provide transportation of nurses from the point of origin to the designated receiving hospital.
“Given the high risk situation in hospitals, we want to make sure that BFP nurses sent to augment these hospitals are safe and provided with utmost protection,” he added.
The DILG spokesperson assured that the deployed nurses will be vaccinated and provided with COVID-19 RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests prior, during and post-deployment.
If warranted, Malaya added that the deployed nurses will be given medical assistance including admission to a hospital in case they are infected with COVID-19 during the deployment program.
The DILG spokesperson also revealed that the Department of Health (DOH) will also provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for the use of the nurses deployed upon request by the receiving hospitals. (Chito A. Chavez)