The provincial government of Bohol (PGBh) is dismissing the accusation that there are no personal protective equipment (PPEs) being provided to the various Rural Health Units (RHU) in Bohol.
The PGBh is saying it is the mayors’ responsibility to provide PPE to the various RHUs.
The PGBh reacted to the insinuation made by an anonymous citizen saying that the province has budget for PPE purchase but no RHU has received the critical protective gears.
An anonymous citizen relayed the criticism via private message to The Bohol Tribune managing editor Ardy Araneta-Batoy on Tuesday, June 16, 2020.
The message reads: “hesus hesus naay budget for protective gears ang province until now wala pa nadistribute sa mga RHU and to think naay nangapositive nga mga LSI of which tua sa mga lungsod na guipamutang ang taga lungsod.”
The information chief in the Capitol Kevin Damalerio said that it was agreed by the Bohol mayors in a meeting with Gov. Arthur Yap that each local government unit will purchase PPEs to be used by their frontliners working with the respective RHU.
According to Damalerio the PPEs purchased by the PGBh are used by the extraction team who are tasked to engage with the arriving repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) or locally stranded individuals (LSIs).
Damalerio added that the PPEs are also used by those involved in contact tracing activities, and medical technologists doing the swab tests or rapid tests on possible or suspected Covid patients.
Damalerio said PPEs are also given to nurses in quarantine facilities for OFWs which are in different hotels in Panglao.
Damalerio added that the PGBh also gave PPEs to the personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Quarantine, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Philippine National Police.
It was learned from Damalerio that extra PPEs are donated to the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH).
Currently, according to Dr. Mutya Macuno, GCGMH is now a Covid-dedicated hospital and will only admit cases which are probable or suspect Covid cases. Also, the regional hospital will accept only mild or severe acute respiratory infection cases.
Damalerio said it would be a disaster if our hospitals run out of PPEs, especially the GCGMH, in the event the number of Covid cases rise.
Currently, two (2) LSIs from Tagbilaran and one (1) each in Sagbayan and Candijay are positive for Covid via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
On the other hand, two (2) LSIs from Getafe, one LSI each in San Miguel and in Sevilla are positive based on the rapid antibody test. The rapid antibody test can only detect antibodies and not the SARS- CoV-2.The SARS-CoV-2 is the virus causing Covid infection.