MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said the government is strengthening its efforts to make sure both the public and private sector are prepared in terms of a possible surge of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections.
DOH Undersecretary and treatment czar Leopoldo Vega said during the Leading Forward Pre-SONA Forum and town hall meeting that the DOH and Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) were tasked to come up with the One Hospital Command which aims to increase the country’s health system capacity and improve the coordination among the DOH, hospitals and temporary treatment and monitoring facilities.
“This is a response to the rising cases in Metro Manila which comprises about 55-60 percent of the total positives that we do get in a daily basis. On top of this, the Calabarzon area which is proximal to Manila which accounts for a considerable number and very significant increases in Covid-19 cases. This kind of strengthening the health capacity means that the One Hospital Command makes sure that public and private institution would be able to allocate beds, specifically for Covid-19 patients and that they must be able to expand their facilities in order to make sure the Covid-19 patients are taken good care of and have proper access,” Vega said.
Vega also appealed to the public to collaborate and communicate strongly to defeat the pandemic. “We are strengthening our efforts to make sure that the government and private sector are prepared in terms of a possible surge in this pandemic that we have,” he added.
In a separate speech, Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Director-General Ramon Cualoping III appealed to the public to trust the government especially at this time.
“As the world waits for a vaccine, we ask for every Filipino to persevere and keep our faith with the government in our most trying times. We assure you that the government under President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, is doing everything to mitigate the effects of this Covid-19 pandemic,” Cualoping said in the same pre-SONA forum. (PR)
