Published April 28, 2021, 10:53 AM
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto is calling for a review of the Department of Health’s (DOH) spending to look into whether or not it actually used the funds appropriated for the purchase of intensive care unit (ICU) equipment.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega inspect a new isolation facility at the Eva Macapagal Terminal in Port Area, Manila on April 26, 2021. The quarantine facility is expected to accommodate mild to asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. (MANILA BULLETIN/Ali Vicoy)
Recto issued the appeal on Wednesday, April 28, following reports that the DOH “bungled” the acquisition of 200 ICU beds offered by an Austrian company late last year.
(JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque tried to allay concerns that the government has supposedly cut the benefit for the health frontliners during the public health emergency. According to Roque, President Duterte’s order on the additional benefit for these frontliners remained in effect.
“Hindi po nire-reduce ang hazard pay dahil ang hazard pay ay sang-ayon sa sang order ng ating Presidente (The hazard pay has not been reduced because hazard pay is based on an order issued by the President),” he said during a televised press briefing Tuesday, April 27.
“Pero naparating natin sa DOH (Department of Health) ang concerns at sabi ni Usec (Leopoldo) Vega tinitingnan ang ganitong report na binabawasan ang hazard pay (But we relayed the concerns to the DOH and Usec Vega said they’re looking into the report on the reduction on hazard pay),” he added.
Published April 27, 2021, 12:09 PM
The healthcare utilization rate in Metro Manila has decreased in the past weeks, the country’s treatment czar and Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said Tuesday, April 27.
Health Sec. Francisco Duque with Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega inspect a new isolation facility at the Eva Macapagal Terminal in Port Area, Manila on April 26, 2021 where mild to asymptomatic COVID-19 patients will be quarantined. (Photo by Ali Vicoy)
From a peak of 76 percent in late March, Vega said healthcare utilization rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) dropped to roughly 65 percent as of April 26.
“I think the most important and very significant factor is that there has been a decrease and plateauing of the healthcare utilization rate,” Vega said in a CNN Philippines interview.
PH’s DOH, national task force team up to aid hospital decongestion amidst COVID-19 PH’s DOH, national task force team up to aid hospital decongestion amidst COVID-19
By Teddy Cambosa
The Department of Health (DOH), together with the rest of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), and the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF) in the Philippines, shall continue its efforts to further address the high hospital occupancy rates in Metro Manila.
Image/CIA
Over the next 2 weeks, the DOH and NTF will continue to monitor and work with the Local Government Units (LGUs) to reach specific targets in order to address the two main pressing issues: increasing cases and hospital occupancies.
(JANSEN ROMERO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The DOH said these hospitals were the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP), the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), and the off-site extension of Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC) at Quezon Institute.
Duque, Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega, Assistant Secretary Romeo Ong, and Assistant Secretary Elmer Punzalan visited the NCMH last April 12 as it opened some of its pavilions to cater COVID-19 patients, while ensuring the continuity of care for psychiatric in-patients.
In a statement, the DOH said the said pavilions contributed a total of 960 additional beds dedicated to the treatment and recuperation of patients with mild and moderate COVID-19 symptoms.