Councilor hits palliative approach to COVID-19

By Dolly Yasa

 

BACOLOD City – Limiting the movement of the public is but a palliative solution to the rising cases of COVID-19.

Bacolod City Councilor Wilson Gamboa issued this statement after the “sudden” imposition of the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) on the city.

Gamboa said Wednesday that of the eight measures granted to Mayor Evelio Leonardia by the Sangguniang Panlungsod, seven are all about restrictions, limitations, curtailment and stoppage of movement.

He said these are not anymore “direct solutions to stop transmission,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

“I set the example: people in jail. No movement but contamination is high,” Gamboa said.

He added that the Philippines has the longest “quarantine” in the whole world, which is now in its 6th month and “yet transmission of COVID-19 cases are rising.”

“We might be looking or focusing on ‘strategies’ which are not the solutions but just merely ‘palliatives’ to the problem.” What we need today, according to the World Health Organization is a ‘Strong Public Health System.”

One of his suggestions is to “summon all the experts in the city to create a targeted strategy to detect, test, isolate.

He said the city should first focus on the most vulnerable group, especially the elderly or the senior citizens and children.

“Curtailing and stoppage of movement is more expensive than the transmission itself, economic wise. It will destroy the economy and exacerbate further the misery of our people.  Meaning, others who need to work can do so freely and safely by protecting our healthy, able and productive citizens to work.  Our citizens are an important resource,” Gamboa said.

He also suggested quick action and response to the detected cases.

Gamboa said as early as April, he manifested to the SP to expand testing “to the greatest acceptable degree and testing centers so we can confirm actual infected and evaluate case doubling rate. ”

He added the need to map all 61 barangays of Bacolod in terms of number of suspect, probable and confirmed cases.