Doctors outside NCR听call听for assistance
By Patricia B. Mirasol听听
WHILE IT IS听understandable that the Philippine response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is centered on the capital, where cases are concentrated, doctors called attention to the lack of health services outside Metro Manila.听
鈥淵ou have to maintain vital services in the peripheries because听ang liit ng听肠补辫补肠颈迟测听苍颈濒补听[their capacity is so limited],鈥 said Dr. Raul S. Ting, a community health advocate from Tuguegarao City, in a Sept. 29 webinar organized by the Community Medicine Practitioners and Advocates Association.听鈥淢alayo din sa听referral centers [They are also far from referral centers].鈥澨
Dr. Ting told听叠耻蝉颈苍别蝉蝉奥辞谤濒诲听in a separate Facebook message that he has been acting as a bridge between volunteers and rural health units (RHUs) since the pandemic, helping supplies such as personal protective equipment reach those who need them the most. Some of these volunteer initiatives were from Kaisa Para sa Kaunlaran, the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc., and ManilArt鈥檚 CovAID.听听
Beneficiaries include Tuguegarao鈥檚 ward nurses, who used to buy their own masks for P27 each.听听
鈥淟ast year鈥檚 work evolved into helping out RHUs, because either the local government unit can鈥檛 afford to budget more for health services, or it鈥檚 not among their priorities,鈥 Dr. Ting said, adding that others only mobilize if there鈥檚 income to be earned.听听
Other initiatives spearheaded at the community level are听, which offered free teleconsultations for COVID-19 patients, as well as the distribution of UV sterilizers by Prolabs Philippines.听听
鈥Malaking bagay听[They are very useful],鈥 Dr. Ting said of the sterilizers, 鈥kasi kahit听birthing听clinics听ng听RHUs听nadi-disinfect听na gastos lang kuryente听[because even the RHUs鈥 birthing clinics are听disinfected while only needing to spend on electricity].鈥澨
TRICYCLE BIRTHS
鈥淭he听communities are the frontline听and they should be the focus of COVID prevention,鈥 said Dr. Jean A. Lindo, a community medicine advocate in Davao City, at the same event.听听
Meaningful education about the importance of wearing masks, she added, trumps forcing violators of health protocols to swim in canal water.听听
(Officials of Barangay San Antonio in Davao City were called out last year after nine violators of the curfew ordinance were made to swim in a drainage canal.)听
Dr. Lindo cited Haran, a community of indigenous people with zero cases of infection, as a good example of how the pandemic can be controlled on a smaller scale.听
鈥Nasa sa kanila mismo ang disiplina听[They themselves have the discipline],鈥 Dr. Lindo said. 鈥淲ith the continuous engagement of medical students… and good messaging, the health bubble was maintained.鈥澨
Dr. Marites Betonio-Bacu帽ata, an obstetrician-gynecologist who owns a birthing center in Cavite, stressed the importance of equipping communities with facilities.听
Hospital beds are fully utilized and COVID-19 patients have bumped off pregnant women on the priority list. 鈥Wala nang mapuntahan ang mga manganganak kaya inaabot听ng听birth delivery听sa听tricycles,鈥 she said.听听
鈥淥ur population in the听Calabarzon听[Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon]听area was around听,鈥 added Dr.听Bacu帽ata. 鈥淚magine how many听give听birth every day. Lying-in clinics only have a one-to-three bed capacity.听Sana听makarating听sa听gobyerno听at听mabigyan听ng听pansin [I hope our concerns merit the government鈥檚 attention].鈥澨
