Minimize referrals to Cebu City hospitals

CEBU, Philippines — Doctors in the province's hospitals have been urged to avoid referring patients to hospitals in Cebu City to avoid COVID-19 transmission.

Sugbo News, the official news outlet of the Capitol Public Information Office, reported that Governor Gwendolyn Garcia had discussed this measure in her meeting with doctors from the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Bogo City.

Garcia reportedly encouraged the doctors to perform minor operations, including caesarean delivery, instead of directly referring patients to other hospitals in Cebu City.

Referrals will still be allowed though.  This, however, should be limited to major procedures beyond the capacity of the provincial hospitals.

“Ang referral kay kadtong di nato makaya. Ang kaluy-an nako ang pobre dad-on diri (Cebu City) unya magka-COVID, three times ang bayranan,” she was quoted to have said.

This is in response to the rising number of patients from the province admitted at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) who have tested positive for the coronavirus disease upon swabbing.

Among those are the patients from Liloan and Madridejos who gave birth in the facility, the patient from Carmen who later died from a motorcycle accident, and the patient from Daanbantayan who succumbed to cardiac arrest but frequented VSMMC for dialysis treatment.

The Province of Cebu has 12 district hospitals and four provincial hospitals.

Patients who show symptoms of either Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) in the provincial hospitals will also be swabbed and tested under a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test.

Guidelines will be further refined during Garcia's meeting with the chiefs of the provincial hospitals in Carcar City, Bogo City, Danao City, and Balamban.

Garcia also encouraged hospital chiefs to apply immuno-boosting regimens that the Capitol has encouraged. Among these include steam inhalation or tuob, and ingestion of ginger and turmeric tea.  GAN (FREEMAN)