The city government of Manila has boosted its efforts to curtail the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) by strengthening hospital capacity in the treatment of Covid-positive patients through acquisition of new machines for the city’s public hospitals.
“Patuloy po ang ating pagkilos upang mapigilan ang lalong pagkalat ng Covid-19 sa lungsod. Mula ngayong araw ay magagamit na po ng mga pasyente sa Ospital ng Sampaloc na may severe Covid-19 infection ang mga high-flow oxygen system na makatutulong sa kanilang tuluyang paggaling mula sa sakit (we continue to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the city. From this day, Ospital ng Sampaloc patients with severe Covid-19 infection may now use the high-flow oxygen system to help them recover faster),” Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso said in a Facebook post on Thursday.
To further strengthen the city’s response, three units of high-flow oxygen systems were installed at the Ospital ng Sampaloc (OSSAM).
The high-flow oxygen therapy will benefit OSSAM patients with severe Covid-19 infection and who may have acute respiratory failure.
OSSAM Director Aileen Lacsamana expressed her gratitude to Domagoso and to Manila City Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna for their support by helping them improve the hospital’s response capabilities.
“It does a different mechanism in the lungs other than plain oxygen delivery. What’s good about it is that, even though OSSAM is only licensed by DOH as a primary hospital, our Covid pathway has evolved into managing Covid moderate to severe cases, with the availability of Remdesevir and now this HFO system,” Lacsamana said.
To recall, the city government has previously acquired Remdesivir for Covid-19 patients in Manila City’s public hospitals.
Domagoso said aside from OSSAM, the other five public hospitals in the city will also receive three units each of the high-flow oxygen system.
“Nais ko rin po ipaalam sa mga Batang Maynila na lahat po ng anim nating district hospitals ay makakatanggap ng tig-tatlong units nito. Sa maliit nating mga kaparaanan, haharapin po natin ang mga suliraning dulot ng pandemya. Kaagapay po ninyo ang pamahalaang lungsod (I want to inform Manilenyos that all the six district hospitals of the city will each receive three units of this. In our little way, we will continue to try to look for ways to face the problems caused by the pandemic, and your city government is with you),” he said.
Meanwhile, donations continue to pour in the city.
United States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim visited the Delpan Quarantine Facility in Tondo on Thursday to personally hand over some 5,000 hygiene kits and 16 handwashing stations.
The donations were received by Domagoso, saying these donations will go a long way in helping the residents of Manila.
“The US government is a friend, partner, and ally of the Manileños in facing this pandemic, and the American people are pleased to support the City of Manila’s efforts to fight Covid-19,” Kim said.
The hygiene kits contain face masks, soap, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, and toothbrushes.
Moreover, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has vowed to continue to collaborate with the Manila City Health Office to help ensure that citizens can access quality tuberculosis services during the pandemic.
This is also to support the Department of Health’s Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic strategy to contain the pandemic in the country.
USAID also donated two ventilators to the Tondo Medical Center as a part of the 100 brand-new, state-of-the-art ventilators that the US government handed over on August 28 to the Philippine government.
The Representative of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines and representative of the Mayor of Taipei, Mr. Peiyung Hsu, likewise handed their donation of 15,000 medical masks to the city, while Procter and Gamble Philippines donated 100,000 masks to the city government. (PNA)
