NTF pushes for One Hospital Command in NorMin

ILIGAN CITY, Sep. 5 (PIA) - The National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 is pushing for the operation of the One Hospital Command in Northern Mindanao to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated response to the coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic.

The One Hospital Command will ensure an effective health facility referral system that connects COVID-19 patients to available quarantine facilities and hospitals.

NTF Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr said the One Hospital Command will be headed by the Regional Director of the Department of Health and the Northern Mindanao Medical Center.

"Ang pinakaimportante po sa ating National Action Plan ay puwede tayong mag-angat para sa ekonomiya, puwede tayong magbukas for as long as we maintain yung zero deaths. Ang primary objective natin is makapag-save tayo ng lives at tsaka mababa ang death,” he said.

[The important point of our National Action Plan is that we can revive the economy, we can reopen as long as we maintain zero death. Our primary objective is to save lives and minimize the incidence of death.]

Galvez ,who led the NTF's Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) team, visited Iligan City Friday, September 4, to assess and determine how the national government can help scale up the COVID-19 response of the cities of Iligan and Marawi as well as the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur.

NTF Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr emphasizes, during the NTF's Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE), the importance of early detection in the fight against COVID-19. (Angelo Dologmandin/PIA-ICIC)

"Importante na pangalagaan natin ang Iligan at ang Cagayan de Oro dahil yan ang economic hub natin, pag nacontaminate ang Iligan ay makocontaminate din ang Lanao del Norte at Lanao del Sur," he added.

[We must take care of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro because these are our economic hubs. If Iligan is contaminated, Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur will also be contaminated.]

Iligan City was placed under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine until September 30 due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases. As of September 4, Iligan City has recorded 393 confirmed cases.

With this mind, Galvez also recommended to Iligan City Mayor Celso Regencia to remove the 33 patients on home quarantine and transfer them to a quarantine facility.

“Kapag naka home quarantine, hindi po natin sila nakikita. Hindi po 24 hours nakikita natin yan," he stressed.

[In home quarantine, we don't see the patients. We don't see them for 24 hours.]

He also suggested that every barangay should have isolation facilities so that those identified in the contact tracing will be pulled out immediately from their homes and placed in the facilities to ensure that they will not wander around.

The chief implementer likewise emphasized the importance of early detection.

"Anong gagawin natin para ma-detect natin ng maaga? Kailangan bumuo tayo ng matibay na contact tracing team at palakasin ang contact tracing," he stressed.

[What can we do to detect it early? We need to build a strong contact tracing team and strengthen contact tracing.]

Galvez also reminded Regencia to impose stringent policies for the business sector and workplaces.

Meanwhile, Galvez assured that the recommendations and concerns raised by the local chief executive of Iligan, Marawi, Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur will be addressed by the NTF. (APB/PIA-ICIC)

Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)