Manila Mayor Isko Moreno inspects the Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital at the Luneta Park. (Photo from Manila City Public Information Office)
MANILA, Philippines — With the rise of COVID-19 infections projected to go as high as 2,000 cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) during the New Year’s Eve celebrations, officials of the Department of Health and Bureau of Quarantine inspected on Friday the Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital and were pleased with what they saw.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque described the Field Hospital as a “first-class facility” complete with all the equipment and amenities needed by returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) to complete their isolation procedure.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno thanked Secretary Duque and Secretary Charlie Galvez Jr., the chief implementor of the National Task Force for COVID-19, for visiting the 344-bed hospital which was really intended for “mild and asymptomatic” patients.
“The Manila government will shoulder the expenses until the ROFs complete their isolation here in the Manila Filed Hospital,” said Moreno.
The Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital was built in a record 52 days as part of Mayor Isko’s plan to combat Covid infections by providing sufficient hospital care with available medicines for mild and asymptomatic patients. The hospital stands on a sprawling field in front of the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta Park.
Moreno assured Duque that Manila is open to all COVID-19 patients who are in need of life-saving drugs such as Remdesivir, Tocilizumab, and Molnupiravir.
Around 40,000 capsules of Molnupiravir are available in Manila and the antiviral drug that is said to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death of COVID patients by 50 percent.
“We should always be ahead of COVID infections. We were the first to purchase Remdesivir and Tocilizumab. And now this wonder drug Molnupiravir, tayo din ang naunang bumili. I will continue to listen to science,” Moreno said.
The Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer said the 40,000 capsules of Molnupiravir will go a long way in saving lives not only of Manila residents but also COVID-19 patients from other cities, municipalities and provinces.
“Iisang bangka tayo. Dito sa Maynila, welcome ang lahat. Sa abot ng aming makakaya, handa kaming tumulong sa ibang nangangailangan ng mga life-saving drugs gaya ng Remdisivir at Tocilizumab na maraming natulungan sa ibang lugar sa labas ng syudad,” said Moreno.
Moreno’s running mate, Dr. Willie Ong was the first to relay to the Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer about the anti-COVID wonder drug Molnupiravir which he described as “beneficial” and “life-saving.”
Molnupiravir is the first oral antiviral drug that will prevent mild to moderate cases of Covid-19 from progressing into a severe disease that needs hospitalization.
Ong had revealed there are also two new anti-COVID drugs undergoing clinical trials by Pfizer. These are Plasmovid and Retonovir which are said to be stronger in terms of efficacy in saving the lives of COVID-infected patients.