COVID-19 referral
hospital in Caraga receives donations from private sector
By Doreen Marielle N. Rosales
BUTUAN CITY, May 24 (PIA) -- The Caraga Regional Hospital (CRH) received
donations from private donors on May 19, with the Office of Senator
Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go facilitating the turnover.
Sacks of rice, face masks, and thermal scanners were given to the
hospital through the Medical Center Chief, Dr. Cheryl A. Gotinga, MD, FPPS,
hospital nurse Grace D. Platil, supervising administration officer Atty.
Clayton Edgar M. Delgado, and Malasakit social worker Luo Francis P. Solana.
The donations were intended to further equip the medical and health
workers of the hospital, as well as the workers of the 27th Malasakit
Center in the country hosted by the hospital.
Dr. Gotinga expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the anonymous donors
and the government for ensuring that they be imparted with such assistance.
“Our hospital will definitely need more equipment to better accommodate
COVID-19 patients. Apart from the medical equipment, the food augmentation will
surely boost the determination of our frontline workers, making them even more
effective in their service,” she said.
Senator Go commends the donors who continue to show selflessness and
compassion amid the pandemic.
“These donations are from our generous countrymen. This proves that even
in times of difficulties, there are people who are willing to lend a helping
hand to those who truly need it. Bayanihan is indeed still very much alive,”
the senator added.
The CRH is a Level 2, Department of Health (DOH)-run hospital in Surigao
City, Surigao del Norte and is one of the two COVID-19 referral hospitals in Caraga
that accommodates both suspect cases experiencing severe symptoms and confirmed
COVID-19 cases. The other referral hospital is the Adela Serra Ty Memorial
Medical Center (ASTMMC) located in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur.
The Office of Senator Go has previously successfully turned over similar
donations to other hospitals in Mindanao namely the Northern Mindanao Medical
Center (NMMC) in Cagayan de Oro City; Dr. Jorge P. Royeca Hospital (DJPRH) in
General Santos City; Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao
City; and Davao Regional Medical Center in Tagum City. (DMNR/PIA-Caraga)
Tandag City residents
stranded in other regions, safely returned home
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, May 24 (PIA) - The local government unit (LGU) of Tandag
City has warmly welcomed the local residents as they arrived back in the
province of Surigao del Sur from being stranded in different areas of the
country due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. And as part
of safety and preventive measures, they all have undergone the required process
and protocols imposed by the concerned LGU.
According to Tandag City Mayor Roxanne Pimentel, all those who were
stranded from areas with confirmed COVID-19 cases were subjected to 14-day
mandatory quarantine in the LGU’s designated facility.
This quarantine facility could accommodate some 200 individuals.
All their needs such as food, personal hygiene kits and supplemental
vitamins were shouldered by the LGU.
After five to seven days, they should have to undergo the rapid
antibody-based test and another test right before leaving the quarantine
facility.
For the returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who have already
undergone the required 14-day quarantine in other areas where they come from,
shall then observe the strict home quarantine as they arrive in their hometown.
Mayor Pimentel thanked the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) for
extending some 250 test kits for the Rapid Antibody Test.
Apart from this, the LGU-Tandag City has also purchased some 200 test
kits.
As of May 20, there have been some 72 individuals who are undergoing the
14-day quarantine at the Buenavista National High School as the designated
facility in Tandag City.
The first 40 individuals have already undergone the rapid test and all
were tested negative from COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Pimentel emphasized that with or without the COVID-19 crisis,
the LGU of Tandag City has been providing livelihood programs to the
people’s organizations in the 21 barangays, wherein each barangay will receive
P500,000.00 every year. (JPG/NGB/PIA-Caraga)
DOH Caraga reports
more negative results
BUTUAN CITY, May 24 – The Department of Health (DOH) Caraga receives on
Sunday, 46 negative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)
results from Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) Sub-national
Laboratory.
The 46 negative samples are as follows: a) The second follow-up result
of the fourth confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case, b) 28 close
contact of the 4th case, c) seven suspect cases, d) two probable cases, d)
eight Rapid Antibody-test positive cases from Butuan Doctors’ Hospital, Tandag
City, and Agusan del Norte.
“We are relieved that our health worker has finally turned negative in
the second follow-up RT-PCR test. The patient remains asymptomatic and in good
condition,” DOH Caraga Regional Director Jose R. Llacuna, Jr. said.
DOH Caraga also stresses the importance of strengthening the immune
system in fighting infection by being physically active, eating nutritious and
well-balanced diet, avoiding excessive alcohol consumption and by not smoking
cigarettes, e-cigarettes and other tobacco products. (DOH Caraga/PIA Caraga)
Caraga Task Force vs
COVID-19 heightens preparations for 'new normal'
By Amethyst Joy A. Galos
BUTUAN CITY, May 24 -- The Caraga Regional Task Force for Coronavirus
Disease 2019 (RTF COVID-19) One Caraga Shield deliberated on the region’s next
steps towards the region’s gradual transition to “new normal” as the General
Community Quarantine (GCQ) is being imposed in the five provinces in the region
and select areas in the city until the end of May.
During its 6th teleconference meeting last May 13, the Task Force
decided to request the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases
(IATF-EID) and the National Task Force (NTF) for COVID-19 to recognize the
regional task force as the policy-making and coordinating body to address the
COVID-19 situation in the region. The said request was intended to clarify and
harmonize functions among the One Caraga Shield, the Regional Inter Agency Task
Force (RIATF) chaired by the Department of Interior and Local Government
(DILG), and RTF COVID-19 chaired by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
Members of the task force also agreed to expand its membership to
include the regional offices of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA),
Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Environmental and Natural
Resources (DENR), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Justice (DOJ),
Department of Finance (DOF), and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Meanwhile, while the IATF-EID denied the request of the city government
of Butuan for an extension of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in the
entire city. The task force, however, concurred to the request of the Mayor
Ronnie Vicente Lagnada to place five barangays under ECQ, 18 barangays under
modified ECQ (MECQ) while the remaining barangays will be placed under GCQ.
Given the rising number of suspect cases in the city, Mayor Lagnada stated
that some of these barangays are still subjected to intense contact tracing and
testing.
Meanwhile, the RTF has also focused on accommodating the gradual
recovery of the region’s economy during GCQ period, focusing on the continual
operations of the wood industry.
The Caraga Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
(RDRRMC) Economy Cluster, chaired by the National Economic Development
Authority (NEDA) Caraga, then passed Resolution 30-A, Series of 2020, enjoining
local government units (LGUs) in Caraga to strictly comply and adhere to the
economic provisions of the national guidelines issued by IATF-MEID.
Three resolutions were issued to permit the resumption of the wood
industry, namely Resolution Nos. 30-B, 30-C, and 30-D, Series of 2020,
requesting DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu resources grant authority to the DENR
regional executive director to provisionally approve the applications of wood
processing plants (WPP) permits in the region and the application for tree
cutting permits for naturally grown trees affected by private development
projects within titled properties during the community quarantine period, and
requesting the city government of Butuan to allow WPPs to continue its
operations during the extended implementation of ECQ in the city, respectively.
(DMNR/PIACaraga)
COVID-19 referral
hospital sa Caraga nakatanggap ng donasyon mula sa private sector
By Doreen Marielle N. Rosales
BUTUAN CITY, May 24 (PIA) -- Nakatanggap ng donasyon mula sa mga private
donors ang Caraga Regional Hospital (CRH) noong May 19, kung saan
pinangasiwaan ng tanggapan ni Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go ang
pagturnover.
Nakatanggap ng mga sako ng bigas, face masks, and thermal scanners ang
ospital sa pamamagitan ni Medical Center Chief Dr. Cheryl A. Gotinga; hospital
nurse Grace D. Platil, supervising administration officer Atty. Clayton Edgar
M. Delgado; at Malasakit social worker Luo Francis P. Solana.
Ang mga donasyon ay ipinamahagi upang patuloy na matulungan ang mga
medical at health workers sa CRH at maging ang mga manggagawa ng Malasakit
Center na naipatayo sa ospital.
Lubos ang pasasalamat ng mga hospital heads, lalo na ni Dr. Gotinga, sa
mga donors at sa gobyerno na isinigurong maibahagi sa kanila ang mga donasyon.
“Tiyak na magagamit namin ang mga kagamitan upang mapabuti ang
pag-accommodate sa mga COVID-19 patients. Malaking tulong din ang food
augmentation sa aming mga manggagawa. Sa pamamagitan ng pagdating ng mga tulong
ay mas magiging determinado pa silang magserbisyo sa ating mga kababayan,”
aniya.
Pinuri din ni Senator Go ang mga donors na walang sawang nagpapakita ng
pagmamalasakit sa kapwa sa gitna ng krisis.
“Itong mga donasyon ay mula sa ating mga kababayan. Patunay lamang na sa
panahon ng hirap, nariyan ang maraming tao na bukas ang loob na tulungan ang
mas nangangailangan. Buhay na buhay ang pakikipagtulungan at bayanihan sa ating
bansa,” sabi ng senador.
Ang CRH ay isang Level 2 Department of Health (DOH) hospital sa Surigao
City, Surigao del Norte at isa sa dalawang COVID-19 referral hospitals sa
Caraga kung saan kinuconfine ang mga suspected cases na nakakaranas ng malalang
sintomas at mga kumpirmadong kaso ng COVID-19 sa rehiyon.
Matagumpay din na napangasiwaan ng tanggapan ni Senator Go ang nagdaang
turnovers sa iba pang mga ospital sa Mindanao katulad ng Northern Mindanao
Medical Center (NMMC) sa Cagayan de Oro City; Dr. Jorge P. Royeca Hospital
(DJPRH) sa General Santos City; Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC)
sa Davao City; and Davao Regional Medical Center sa Tagum City.
(DMNR/PIACaraga)
5th COVID-19 positive
in Caraga recorded
BUTUAN CITY, May 24 -- The departmet of Health (DOH) Caraga confirms
today (May 24) the fifth case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the
region following receipt of results from the Southern Philippines Medical
Center. A total of 47 lab results were released where 46 tested negative for
the virus leaving one sample positive.
The fifth COVID-19 case is a 65-year-old Filipino male from Agusan del
Norte who traveled to Manila late February, currently asymptomatic but recently
turned positive in the Rapid Antibody-based Test (RAT) conducted by the local
government.
“The patient has been on strict quarantine since his arrival and will
continue isolation for close monitoring and further evaluation considering the
results now,” said DOH Caraga Regional Director Jose R. Llacuna.
Contact tracing is presently being conducted by the local health
authorities. Identified close contacts will be subjected for RAT and progress
of their condition will be observed.
“There is still a lot that we don’t know about this virus. For this
reason, we urge everyone to never stop practicing our health reminders against
this time of pandemic crisis," Dr. Llacuna said.
"We also request high risk individuals like the elderlies,
children, pregnant women and those with underlying medical conditions to double
your efforts in protecting your selves and immediately consult health
professionals if you don’t feel well,” he added. (DOH Caraga/PIA Caraga)
