In the whole of Western Visayas, there are already 92 medical frontliners who tested positive for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
According to Dr. Renilyn Reyes, spokesperson of Department of Health Regional Office 6, the breakdown of the medical frontliners who contracted the disease are as follows: 31 doctors, 36 nurses, 8 medical technologists, 6 midwives, 4 radiologic technologists, 3 nursing aides, 1 sanitary inspector, 1 physical therapist, and 2 unspecified health care workers.
Reyes added that there are 70 non-medical frontliners such as police and military officers, ambulance personnel, auxiliary aide, encoders, and administrative staff of hospitals who tested positive for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas does not agree with the plan of Department of Health to tap health workers from the province as substitutes for those in Metro Manila.
Treñas said that even government hospitals here in Iloilo have limited personnel after some of them were also infected with COVID-19.
“I do not know if we still have available [health workers to send to Manila],” Treñas said. “I don’t think it is time for us to send people outside.”
DOH previously announced that some staff in regional offices will be deployed in urban centers. The health department is also working on a program for private healthcare professionals from other parts of the country who want to help in the National Capital Region.
“We need to create a substitution team so that our health workers here in National Capital Region do have time for rest,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
