AFP deploys 32-person medical team to Cebu City to help in COVID-19 response

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday held a send-off ceremony at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City for the 32-person medical team to be deployed to Cebu City.

According to a report of Mao dela Cruz on Dobol B sa News TV, the medical team will assist in attending to patients with COVID-19.

#BantayCOVID19: @TeamAFP, nagpadala ng mga doktor at medical team sa Cebu para tumulong sa paglaban sa COVID-19. | via Mao dela Cruz pic.twitter.com/QYmhhxrYSZ

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) June 28, 2020

Nine doctors, 10 nurses and 13 medical aides were part of the team, according to the AFP Public Affairs Office.

They underwent swab tests and were given anti-flu shots before their deployment.

Department of Health (DOH) Region VII Director Jaime Bernadas said many medical personnel left Cebu City hospitals for various reasons prior to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Ian Cruz’s report on “24 Oras Weekend.” 

Many nurses in the private sector also transferred to government hospitals.

“The acute shortage of personnel and manpower is there so do’n talaga natin sila ipapadala. So pareho lang naman, mga kababayan din natin ‘yan [na] nangangailangan,” Bernadas said.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, AFP Vice Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Gaudencio Collado Jr., and chief implementer of the government's COVID-19 response Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. led the ceremony.

Cimatu—tasked by President Rodrigo Duterte to address the spike in COVID-19 cases in Cebu City—said around 10 civilian doctors from Iloilo will augment the team.

He said he will visit Barangay San Nicolas in Cebu City on Monday to confront a barangay captain over a procession event conducted even as the city is under enhanced community quarantine.

Galvez said the Philippine Red Cross will provide tents as Cebu City needs more isolation facilities to address the COVID-19 threat.

The private sector will also donate ventilators, he added.

'Overwhelmed'

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire explained that the deployment of more medical teams was in response to reports of hospitals in the area being overwhelmed with patients.

Vergeire said even DOH Secretary Francisco T. Duque III issued a directive to deploy additional doctors including doctors to the barrios (DTTBs) to Cebu City.

“Following reports of CHD 7 Director Bernadas that the Cebu City health care system is overwhelmed with patient load at the moment, Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III issued a directive to deploy doctors including DTTBs,” she said in a statement.

“The same observations were reported by National Task Force Leads Secretary Carlito Galvez and Cebu Overseer Secretary Roy Cimatu during their field visit,” she added.

Vergeire noted that the designation of the DTTBs is temporary to provide relief similar to previous assignments in Marawi City after the siege and Leyte after the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

“The assigned doctors are rural health physicians  and not municipal health officers. Meaning the municipality they serve already has a municipal-hired doctor ensuring that the municipalities they serve will not be left doctorless during their assignment,” she said.

“The very nature of the DTTB program is to post doctors, usually in most remote areas where access to healthcare is a challenge, and where quality health care service is most needed,” she said.

Being one of the areas with a high number of COVID-19 cases, Cebu City was returned to ECQ this month.

On Thursday, Cimatu said at least 12 barangays in Cebu City were identified as hotspots for COVID-19 and will be placed under strict lockdown. —Joviland Rita and Julia Mari Ornedo/KG/BM, GMA News