DOH redeploys 136 regional health workers to NCR hospitals
NOTICE The San Juan de Dios Educational Foundation in Pasay City, like many hospitals in Metro Manila, has run out of beds for COVID-19 patients. —RICHARD A. REYES
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) is redeploying 136 doctors and nurses from other regions to hospitals in Metro Manila to augment the healthcare workforce in the capital region which is now bearing the brunt of COVID-19 infections in the country.
According to the DOH, the first batch of the redeployed healthcare workers composed of 42 doctors and nurses from Ilocos Region, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), and the Bicol Region was assigned to the East Avenue Medical Center and to the Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City, Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in Caloocan City, and Amang Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in Marikina City.
Meanwhile, another 94 healthcare workers from the Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will be redeployed to six other Metro Manila hospitals starting this week.
The DOH said these hospitals are the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Lung Center of the Philippines, and the off-site extension of Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center at the Quezon Institute in Quezon City, San Lazaro Hospital, and Tondo Medical Center in the City of Manila, and the Rizal Medical Center in Pasig City.
“The DOH and the Metro Manila Center for Health Development express their sincerest gratitude and appreciation to the hospitals, regional CHDs (Center for Health Development), and especially to healthcare workers for heeding the call to join the NCR frontline and supporting its response,” the DOH said in a statement.
Article continues after this advertisementUnder the redeployment program, all redeployed healthcare workers are entitled to COVID-19 testing prior, during, and post-deployment, per diem allowance, work transportation expenses, accommodation, and meals, among benefits on top of their salaries and other compensation from their original offices, according to the DOH.
Article continues after this advertisement“DOH also commits to supporting hospitals and other health facilities in the fight against COVID through continuous provision of personal protective equipment and augmentation of human resources for health through redeployment and hiring to ensure that there are adequate healthcare workers that can provide quality health services to COVID-19 and other patients in need of medical care,” the health agency added.
The DOH also reminds the public to utilize hotlines from local government units and telemedicine services for initial consults and non-emergency cases to help decongest hospitals amid the surge of COVID-19 cases.
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