Gaane cmte looks into manpower, facility requirements for city’s continuing COVID response

“WE can open as many facilities as we can, but we don’t have enough manpower to manage them”.

This was stressed by Dr. William Bernardo, Acting City Health Officer, during the meeting of the City Council committee on health and health insurance chaired by Councilor Maria Lourdes S. Gaane.

The committee convened to discuss the proposal of Councilor Lordan Suan to utilize schools and covered courts in barangays as temporary holding facilities for COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Bernardo cited that the city is currently utilizing resources from some departments and has applied strategies to mitigate health care personnel staffing shortages during the pandemic.

He said the city government is considering using covered courts and schools to address the surge of cases. However, he said resources are limited. That is why hotels are being used as one of the city’s isolation units (CIU), he explained.

“Kung mogamit ta’g school dili maka isolate. It defeats the purpose of isolation. Wala’y own comfort rooms, mopalit pa og mga gamit, but still we don't have the manpower,” he stressed.

VACCINATION

Dr. Bernardo said the city will be expecting more vaccines from the national government. However, as much as the city wanted to vaccinate more residents, manpower shortage is at stake, he pointed out.

“It boils down to manpower needs,” he stressed.

He also cited that the city has pulled out personnel from the City Health Office to facilitate the vaccination roll-out. Some are assigned at the Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facility (TTMF).

For his part, Dr. Ramon Moreno, chief of J.R. Borja General Hospital (JRBGH), suggested that the city provides an instant space for COVID patients such as standard isolation tents in collaboration with USAID.

He suggested requesting the Department of Health (DOH) central office to provide medical personnel to address the staffing shortage.

Councilor Gaane proposed the hiring of more personnel for the medical facilities. She said the matter will be referred to the committee on finance chaired by Councilor Edna Dahino for appropriate action.

Councilors Suan, Reuben R. Daba, Jay R. Pascual, George S. Goking and Suzette Magtajas-Daba were present during the meeting.