Solon asks for more ventilators amid COVID-19 spike in Cagayan de Oro

Deputy Speaker and Cagayan de Oro City Representative Rufus Rodriguez on Tuesday asked the Department of Health to immediately send at least 24 ventilators to various hospitals in Cagayan de Oro amid the spike of COVID-19 infections in the area.

The House leader wrote a letter to DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III as well as to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, DOH Undersecretary Abdullah Dumama Jr., Field Implementation and Coordination of Team Visayas and Mindanao, and Director Ma. Soledad Antonio, stating that as of Sunday, a total of 10,107 COVID-19 cases have been recorded in Cagayan de Oro.

“The hospitals in the city are still seeing an influx of COVID-19 patients, with some forced to wait in line for vacancy. The healthcare utilization rate is at 74.56 percent,” Rodriguez said.

He noted that during the period of June 14-20, there were 563 new COVID-infected individuals, where 37 of whom were admitted to hospitals, while the others were outpatients. Rodriguez added that 17 people died in this period.

He requested for ventilators for the following hospitals:

1. Northern Mindanao Medical Center - 10 units
2. J. R. Borja General Hospital - 3 units
3. Maria Reyna - Xavier University Hospital - 3 units

ADVERTISEMENT

4. Capitol University Medical Center - 2 units
5. Cagayan de Oro Polymedic Medical Plaza - 2 units
6. Cagayan de Oro Medical Center/Oncology Cancer - 2 units
7. Madonna and Child Hospital - 2 units

Rodriguez said the ventilators could be sourced from the remaining 63 units which the DOH has announced on standby and ready to be deployed to other regions.

“The DOH has to help our hospitals treat COVID-19 patients especially now that there is a so-called Delta or Indian variant that is more contagious than the UK variant,” Rodriguez said.

The lawmaker earlier slammed the national government over the latter’s supposed neglect to the Mindanao region’s COVID-19 situation. Rodriguez said he has since requested vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. to provide more vaccines for Mindanao, but he said Galvez did not respond to his request.

The Palace denied that there has been a lack of COVID-19 response in the region.

Galvez, meanwhile, ensured that more vaccine supply would be given to Mindanao in the coming weeks. — RSJ, GMA News