Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 22) – House Deputy Speaker and Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Representative Rufus Rodriguez has asked the Department of Health to send at least 24 additional ventilators to seven hospitals in Cagayan de Oro amid the surge of COVID-19 cases in the city.
In a letter sent to Health Secretary Francisco Duque, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, Health Undersecretary Abdullah Dumama, Jr., and Health Director Ma. Soledad Antonio, Rodriguez said there are 10,107 coronavirus infections in Cagayan de Oro as of Sunday.
“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 74.56%” Rodriguez added.
The lawmaker said the additional ventilators “can be sourced from the remaining 63 units the DOH has announced were on standby and ready to be deployed to the regions.”
Rodriguez said the following hospitals are in need of more ventilators:
– Northern Mindanao Medical Center – 10 units
– J. R. Borja General Hospital – 3 units
– Maria Reyna – Xavier University Hospital – 3 units
– Capitol University Medical Center – 2 units
– Cagayan de Oro Polymedic Medical Plaza -2 units
– Cagayan de Oro Medical Center/Oncology – 2 units
– Madonna and Child Hospital – 2 units
“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.
Rodriguez had also requested for additional COVID-19 vaccines for Cagayan de Oro. Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. said Visayas and Mindanao will each be getting 25% of incoming COVID-19 vaccine doses in the country.
