PRC donates 2 medical tents to Lapu-Lapu City

CEBU, Philippines —  Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan thanked the Philippine Red Cross for donating medical tents to the city hospital Tuesday afternoon.

“Dako kining ikatabang kanato mga Oponganon ug Cordovahanon kining duha ka tent nga ato nang ma-segregate (ang mga pasyente) nga naa sa atong Lapu-Lapu City hospital,” the mayor said.

Chan said they can now separate COVID patients with mild symptoms, moderate and asymptomatic from non-COVID patients, especially pregnant mothers.

Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho, PRC vice chairperson Lapu-Lapu-Cordova Chapter, also thanked Chan because the hospital will also serve her constituents from Cordova.

“Dako nakong kalipay kay daghan man diay masud, 12 ka buok, unya 24 tanan, na pwerte pa gyud bugnawa, apan mas modako akong kalipay kung wa gyu’y masud ana kay wa’y masakit ug wa’y magpa-konsulta,” Sitoy said.

Dr. Ronald Oporto, hospital chief, said the two tents will serve as the hospital triage and outpatient department.

“Tungod sa pandemic puno na atong mga hospital, unya mobalibad na og pasyente. Mao nga atong tumong nangita ta’g paagi maka-additional sa bed capacity para maka-accommodate ta sa tanan ug wala na’y mabalibaran,” said Lapu-lapu City first lady and PRC board of director Cindi King-Chan.

Cindi was instrumental in acquiring the two tents instead of just one. She requested PRC through Vic Jay Gonzal, PRC Lapu-Lapu-Cordova Chapter Administrator, for additional tent which was granted by PRC chairman and Senator Richard Gordon.

DOH-7 chief Pathologist Mary Jean Loreche said they will soon make the city hospital an intermediate care facility by providing mechanical ventilators and put up additional laboratory equipment.

Oporto said they will also transfer all COVID and suspected COVID patients, now confined at the hospital, to the new isolation facility across Hoops Dome. The facility is expected to be completed in August.

Once relieved of COVID patients, the city government will start upgrading the city hospital. At present, the city hospital has 35 COVID beds, five of which are still vacant.

As of July 27, ARC Hospital in Barangay Agus has 50 COVID beds with eight still vacant. Mactan Doctors Hospital has also 27 COVID beds with only two remaining vacant.

“In addition, sa Red Cross tents, I am also pleased that Dr. Yong Larrazabal informed us of the efforts they have made to increase the bed capacity of Mactan Doctors against COVID-19,” Cindi said.

Cindi added that the entire 20 beds at the emergency room of Mactan Doctors are now exclusively for COVID-19 related cases. The hospital has also opened a COVID-19 charity ward.  FPL (FREEMAN)