62 South Cotabato health workers get virus

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—At least 62 hospital workers in South Cotabato had contracted COVID-19 as infections continue rising in the province.

Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. said the infections among the health workers contributed to the pressure on the province’s health system as cases rose dramatically since the beginning of the year.

As of Tuesday, South Cotabato logged 535 active cases, a sharp increase from only 44 in Jan. 4 which was the lowest in nine months.

Tamayo said public and private hospitals were starting to get overwhelmed due to the increasing admissions.

Records showed that five doctors, 33 nurses, four medical technologists, three x-ray technicians, two nursing attendants, a respiratory therapist, and 14 ancillary and administrative staff had tested positive for COVID-19.

The number does not include the office personnel who turned out positive to rapid antigen testing, said Dr. Conrado Braña, chief of South Cotabato Provincial Hospital (SCPH).Augmenting staff

Administrators of Dr. Arturo P. Pingoy Medical Center in Koronadal City, the biggest of the province’s six COVID-19 referral hospitals, said a doctor and 34 personnel could not report for duty as they were sick.

SCPH, Tamayo said, is attending to 109 COVID-19 patients, 60 of them waiting at the emergency room due to the shortage of beds.

The governor said they were planning to tap the Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos) General Hospital in Surallah town to accommodate patients with moderate condition to help decongest the provincial hospital.

He said the South Cotabato Medical Society had committed to deploy volunteer teams to augment the hospital’s manpower.

In Misamis Occidental, Gov. Philip Tan said the province’s hospital bed capacity was at critical level due to rising infections.

As of Jan. 24, the province recorded 649 active cases, up 69 percent from only 384 on Jan. 20.