Ilocos Norte healthcare workers seek two-week timeout

Medical workers in Ilocos Norte are asking for a timeout for two weeks for fear that hospitals and health workers will be overwhelmed from the uptick of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.

According to Lei Alviz's report on "Saksi," Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital & Medical Center (MMMHMC) in Ilocos Norte has already experienced a surge of cases as they were forced to convert the driveway into a field hospital.

Dr. Maria Lourdes, chief of MMMHMC, a 37-year-old patient died while waiting for a room.

"It is really crushing, if you allow yourself to dwell on it so I tell my staff, okay, we have to move on. We have to decide who gets the next bed," she said.

Dr. Luis Jake Rubio IIII, former president of the Ilocos Norte Medical Society called on the provincial government for a timeout of two weeks due to the dramatic increase of cases.

"Then i-assess natin for two weeks, if we need to extend or not. Ma-o-overwhelm ang healthcare facilities mapapagod ang mga tao natin, mas malaking probelma if that will happen," he said.

The provincial government of Ilocos Norte imposed a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in the towns of Bangui, Dingras, Dumalneg, Marcos, Pagudpud, Paoay, Pasuquin and Solsona starting July 23, Friday. Laoag City is already under MECQ.

In Ilocos Norte, total coronavirus disease cases soared to 5,891 with 1,624 active cases, 103 deaths and 4,164 recoveries, as of July 21.

Rubio suggested that MECQ must be implemented for the whole province and stricter enhanced community quarantine for hotspot areas.

"Buhay muna ng mga tao tapos saka natin i-assess ang economy," he said.

For his part, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the health department is prepared to send more health workers to help out hospitals like what they did in Cebu and Davao wherein there was a surge of cases. -- Consuelo Marquez/BAP, GMA News