This photo shows one of the Station Health Units in Metro Manila police district. Photo from NCRPO PIO
MANILA, Philippines — Station Health Units (SHU) were set up at all Metro Manila police districts to check on the health conditions of police personnel belonging to the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).
This was disclosed by the NCRPO on Tuesday, explaining that: “The SHU was conceptualized which will be primarily responsible in monitoring the health status of police officers within its AOR (area of responsibility); assist personnel due for Physical Fitness Test, Annual Physical Examination, medical evaluation, and other personnel medical requirements; and provide tactical medical support during station operations.”
NCRPO said the Northern Police District has five SHUs with 50 personnel; Eastern Police District has five SHUs with 61 personnel; Manila Police District has 13 units with 87 personnel; Southern Police District has eight units with 48 personnel; and the Quezon City Police District has 13 units with 79 personnel.
The SHUs will also act as “force multiplier” of NCRPO’s main Health Service in managing COVID-19 cases, NCRPO also noted in a statement.
Of the 210,000 police personnel in the country, NCRPO has the most number of police officers sickened by COVID-19, a potentially fatal respiratory illness caused the new strain of coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2, which first emerged in China’s Wuhan City in Hubei province late last year.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan said they have reserve forces in the PNP Headquarters to assist Metro Manila police in their operations.
“We already have more or less 210,000 PNP. The region that is greatly affected is NCRPO and Camp Crame has reserve forces that would be able to augment NCRPO. That is why we don’t have problems with people infected,” Cascolan said in a previous interview.
As of Monday night, PNP has 5,462 total COVID-19 cases with 17 deaths and 4,125 recoveries.