Tawi-Tawi hospital shut down as 8 physicians, 64 health workers test COVID-19 positive
HEALTH • 08:45 AM Mon Sep 28, 2020
2
By:
Ferdinandh Cabrera
COTABATO CITY - The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) in Tawi-Tawi province was compelled to implement shut down of operation after 72 of their health workers, including eight of their doctors have contracted COVID-19 virus.
In a Memorandum Order Number 41 released Sunday by the Ministry of Health of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MOH-BARMM), massive infections hit the Datu Halun Sakilan Memorial Hospital (DHSMH).
This forced the Tawi-Tawi Integrated Porvincial Health Office to recommend the shutdown of the hospital and was given the green light to do so by Dr. Amirel Usman, acting BARMM health minister.
Usman then authorized the IPHO to pull out or temporarily reassign health workers from other Rural Health Units (RHUs) or hospitals within their area of jurisdiction to augment the collapse of health human resources.
The PHO may request MOH-BARMM to hire physicians to be assigned in the affected area.
Health workers designated one part of the hospital as isolation unit for health providers while the other wing for patients suffering from other disease.
Consultations and delivery services for new the born babies are to be done in certified lying-in clinics or rural health units (RHW).
“The health ministry is on closely coordinating now to the development of the IPHO of Tawi-Tawi,” according to Dr. Usman.
On Friday, the Bangsamoro Rapid Emergency Action Response on Disaster Incidence (READi) under the Ministry of Interior of Local Government (MILG-BARMM) immediately dispatched mechanical ventilators to Tawi-Tawi.
“We procured these items thru the facilitation of the UNDP as global supply for these machines are in shortage due to Covid 19,” Interior Minister Naguib Sinarimbo said.
“These are essentials in aiding Covid patients suffering from respiratory problems in the whole of the BARMM”, said Minister Attorney Naguib Sinarimbo of the MILG-BARMM.
Sinarimbo said they procured a total of 10 units and will be deployed in strategic hospitals across the region. (FC)