The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on Thursday (April 21) called for additional health workers to attend to Covid-19 patients of its emergency Covid-19 field hospitals (EFH) that are being established to decongest hospitals.
PRC Chairperson and CEO Sen. Richard Gordon said these health workers will monitor mild to moderate or recovering COVID-19 positive patients at their field hospitals.
“Padadagdagan pa natin ng additional tents kung kakailanganin. Pero kahit na magdagdag ka ng kama, kung kulang ang doctors at nurses, talagang under siege ang ating healthcare system,” Gordon told.
[We will add additional tents if needed. However, even if we add more beds, if we lack doctors and nurses, our healthcare system will remain under siege.]
“Ang gusto ko nga, magkaroon tayo ng medic volunteers. Kung mag-train tayo for one to two weeks ng mga minders, anuman ang background nila, we can test them para makatulong sila na mag-monitor ng mga pasyente habang sila ay naka-full personal protective equipment (PPE). Kahit mga 18 years old, pwedeng tumulong,” he added.
[I want to have medic volunteers. If we train minders for one to two weeks regardless of their background, we can test them so they can help monitor patients while wearing full personal protective equipment. Even 18 years-olds can help.]
The PRC established 18 air-conditioned tents as surge facilities of the Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City which will soon be installed with patient monitoring equipment such as pulse oximeters, mobile X-ray machines, ECG machines, and cardiac monitors.
Eight of the facilities can accommodate up to 100 patients.
The PRC also placed PPE donning and doffing areas, portable hand washing stations at all work areas, and staff quarters with a pantry in the field hospitals to ensure the welfare of the workers. Gordon said they are currently securing areas for additional emergency field hospitals.
Gordon also requested the government to assist potential volunteers and prioritize their vaccination.
“We’re going to win this fight if everybody helps out. Kaya dapat, habang nagdadagdag tayo ng hospital beds, ay nagre-reinforce tayo ng volunteers [This is why we should reinforce volunteers while we add hospitals beds],” he advised. – PRC/AG-jlo
