THE Department of Health is now facing a problem as to where to source out replacement of over a thousand medical frontliners who yielded positive to COVID-19 in the Davao region.
At the Laguing Handa public briefing, DOH regional director Annabelle Yumang said that a total of 1,252 health workers in Region 11 or Davao Region have been infected with the deadly virus from Wuhan, China.
“During the pandemic naman, sila din talaga ‘yung nagdu-duty sa hospital, clearing the COVID-19 even mga suspect pa lang po, probable, inaalagaan na po nila and they are in constant exposure to these patients,” Yumang said.
The infected health workers have been accommodated to hotels to prevent further spread of the disease, particularly to their families, added Yumang even as she claimed that compensation benefits were provided to the families of frontliners who died due to COVID-19.
“Ongoing na po ngayon ‘yung compensation to other health workers na mabigyan po sila, lalo na ‘yung mga mild to moderate cases,” she further said.
Experts from the UP OCTA Research earlier hinted on the Davao region as among the epicenters of COVID-19 pandemic alongside the National Capital Region and Calabarzon.
“Sa ngayon po ‘yung private hospitals naman natin, lalo na dito sa Davao City, nakapag-increase na po sila to 196 beds na po ang na-allocate for COVID,” she said.
“Ongoing pa din ‘yung pagkausap natin with the private hospitals and we are supporting the private hospitals through deploying some of the nurses kasi sumusulat na po sila sa amin na ‘yung mga needs nila are really the human resources. Ito po ngayon ang ginagawa natin dito sa region,” Yumang stressed.