SPMC ‘overwhelmed’ after uptick in COVID-19 cases; additional health workers sent — Galvez

Presidential Peace adviser and concurrent National Task Force COVID-19 Response Chief Implementor Carlito Galvez Jr. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) is “overwhelmed” following the increase in COVID-19 cases in Davao City, the government’s pandemic response chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said Monday.

Galvez thanked Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana after the Armed Forces of the Philippines sent a 25-man medical team to Davao City to address the spike in cases.

“Nagpapasalamat po kami kay Sec. Lorenzana dahil po nagpadala kaagad ng reinforcement na 25 na medical personnel–anim na doctor, anim na nurse at 13 na nursing staff,” Galvez said in a pre-recorded meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte aired Monday.

(We thank Sec. Lorenzana because he sent a reinforcement of 25 medical personnel consisting of six doctors, six nurses and 13 nursing staff.)

“Malaking tulong po iyon kasi binisita namin ang SPMC kasi overwhelmed po ‘yung SPMC natin,” he added.

(It’s a big help because when we visited SPMC, it was overwhelmed.)

But Galvez assured that the coronavirus situation in Davao City is already stabilizing.

Davao City was among the high-risk areas for coronavirus transmissions recently identified by the OCTA Research Group.

Based on the Department of Health’s COVID-19 tracker, Davao City has 6,517 coronavirus cases with 197 deaths and 5,051 recoveries.

Davao City is among the areas under general community quarantine for the entire month of December.

JPV