Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 14) — The country has sufficient supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) as distribution continues and more deliveries expected, according to Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the National Task Force on COVID-19.
Galvez reported on Thursday that at least 200,000 sets of PPE have been delivered to Mindanao and 260,000 sets to Luzon and Visayas, while more than 430,000 others are pending distribution. This came from the government’s earlier purchase of over one million PPE sets amounting to ₱1.8 billion for 699 hospitals.
“Ibig sabihin po nag-stabilize na ang ating supply sa PPE,” said Galvez in an online briefing.
[Translation: This means our supply of PPE has stabilized]
He added that the government has allotted an extra ₱20 billion to buy another 11 million sets. Three million of these sets have already been paid for and will be arriving in batches of 250,000 beginning Monday, he also said.
Galvez stressed out that the lower infection rate among health workers proves that health facilities are getting enough PPEs.
“Since government began purchasing and distributing these PPEs with the medical-grade level four, there has been a great reduction of cases of deaths among our health workers ,” he said. “Sa awa ng Diyos ang mga doktor at nurses natin ngayon ay protektado na.”
[Translation: By God’s grace, our doctors and nurses our now protected.]
The Department of Health’s latest data said 2,165 healthcare workers have contracted the coronavirus disease, while 737 have recovered and 35 have died.
The infected tally means medical frontliners comprise 18 percent of the country’s total which is currently at 11,876. But the DOH also pointed out that the daily count of infected health workers has been following a downward trend for over a month.
High quality
Galvez said each PPE set, which consists of gear covering frontliners from head-to-toe, is worth ₱1,000 to ₱2,000. Given the price, he assured that each PPE has level four medical-grade quality which meets international standards and ensures the safety of health workers.
He denied reports that PPE sets from the government cost ₱6,000 each.
The World Health Organization earlier sounded the alarm on the number of medical personnel that have caught the coronavirus in the Philippines, back when the infection rate was still at 13 percent. The WHO said it was looking at the possible lack of equipment as the reason behind the spread of the virus in the country’s health facilities.
