DOH seeks volunteer docs, nurses for ‘danger zones’

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

 

The Department of Health-Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-WV CHD) on Tuesday is looking for 20 volunteer doctors and nurses from the region to assist private hospitals in “danger zones” in Luzon amid the increasing cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) there.

Dr. Renilyn Reyes, head of the Public Health Program Development of DOH-CHD 6, said the move is in response to a memorandum issued by DOH Assistant Secretary Roy Ferrer calling for volunteer doctors and nurses who will augment frontline workers in the National Capital Region (NCR), Region 3 (Central Luzon), and Region 4-A (CALABARZON).

A “danger zone” is an area where the utilization of COVID-19 isolation and ward beds exceed 70 percent.

DOH data indicated that as of Aug 4, 2020, bed occupancy in NCR is at 78.8 percent, Central Luzon at 56.1 percent, and CALABARZON at 63.4 percent.

While the other two regions as a whole are still in the “warning zone” (between 30 and 50 percent) several areas, such as Cavite and Bataan province, are within the danger zone, with utilization rates of 70.7 percent and 87.4 percent, respectively.

“We released an announcement from our Human Resource Unit. This is an announcement for human resource for health augmentation to [NCR], Region III, and Region IV-A. Here, we are calling on physicians and nurses who are willing to heed the call for additional doctors and nurses to the said three regions. These regions have more cases than us here in Region 6,” Reyes said.

Reyes clarified that the invitation to help is open to all doctors and nurses, whether from public or private health facilities.

The DOH-WV CHD previously ordered the deployment of Doctors-To-The-Barrios (DTTB) to help private hospitals in Region VII (Central Visayas) but was met with intense criticism from both the health sector and local government officials.

“Those who will volunteer, they can be from different organizations. They can be from government [hospitals] or they can be private because this is on a voluntary basis,” she added.

She added that the DOH will provide for several of the doctors’ and nurses’ needs and requirements should they volunteer, which include:

– pre-deployment orientation and capacity building;

– complete set of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE);

– full board and lodging at the area of assignment;

– full payment of travelling expenses from point of origin to point of destination and vice-versa;

– diligent monitoring of health status and condition;

– reasonable 14-day working schedule and deployment; and

– observance of 14-day mandatory quarantine period after the deployment, with pay.

Reyes did not mention the exact dates of deployment, but they will coordinate with Ferrer’s office first, after completing the list of volunteer doctors and nurses.

On Aug 3, Ferrer, head of the Field Implementation and Coordination Team for Visayas and Mindanao, issued Memorandum FICT VM ASEC No. 2020-037, requesting several of its regional offices to solicit 20 doctors and nurses to be deployed to targeted private hospitals in the danger zone.

Aside from Western Visayas, other regions the Memorandum specified included Region 8 (Eastern Visayas), Region 10 (Northern Mindanao), Region 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN), Region 13 (Caraga), and the Bangasamoro Autonomous Region.

“In the spirit of bayanihan, we are asking your office to solicit twenty (20) doctors, may include deputized physicians, and nurses from your region to assist our kababayans in Luzon and NCR to be deployed to targeted private hospitals in the danger zone,” the memorandum stated.

The memorandum stated that the reason for these deployments were due to the request of the regional offices in NCR, Central Luzon, and CALABARZON.

“Due to the overwhelmingly increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country, even affecting our comrades in the forefront of this battle, specific Centers for Health Development in Luzon and [NCR] have requested for assistance in augmenting their Human Resource for Health. They are seeking for willing doctors and nurses with great passion for service and love for country to answer the call of help,” the memorandum stated.

 

REACTIONS

As of this writing, both Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas and Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor said they will still look into the memo, but nevertheless provided their reactions in separate phone interviews with Daily Guardian.

Defensor expressed his worry due to the rising number of cases in the province.

“I will look at the contents of the memo first because the number one premise is that our number of COVID-19 cases in Iloilo is rising, so we will have a problem here,” Defensor said.

Treñas, meanwhile, said that his reaction will depend on the reactions of health personnel and that the city will support their position.

“It will have to depend on the health personnel, because the last time, they issued a statement. Now, it will depend on them and we cannot get ahead of them. Our previous position was in support of their own position,” Treñas said.

In a message to Daily Guardian, Dr. Suzette Labrador, President of the Philippine College of Physicians Western Visayas-Panay Chapter, said that they will respect the decisions of their colleagues.

“We are not against the call for volunteerism. We respect our fellow doctors if they decide to go to NCR and help our colleagues there,” Dr. Labrador said.

Daily Guardian has also reached out to the Philippine Nurses Association Region 6 Council and its Iloilo Chapter for their reactions, but they have yet to respond as of this writing.