The Department of Health recently reported that the number of recorded COVID-19 cases in the country has already reached more than one million since the first infection was recorded last year.

The resurging number of COVID-19 cases resulted to the lack of beds for COVID-19 patients seeking treatment in hospitals in the National Capital Region. The patients and their families are met with long queues in the emergency rooms, forcing them to move to another health facility hoping to get treated.

Recognizing this problem, Dow Chemical Philippines Inc., Fluor Daniel Inc., Philippines, CAF America, and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) partnered to assist a government tertiary hospital by capacitating their Intensive Care Unit (ICU) through the provision of medical equipment needed to treat COVID-19 patients.

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CAPACITATING THE ICU OF OSPITAL NG MUNTINLUPA

The Ospital ng Muntinlupa (OsMun) is the only public hospital in the City of Muntinlupa that can provide tertiary healthcare in the area and surrounding communities like Laguna, Cavite and Quezon.

OsMun plays a vital role in the fight against COVID-19 because it aims to serve indigent patients in the southern part of Metro Manila. The fees and bills incurred by the patients are almost subsidized by the local government and other national agencies in order to promote self-reliance.

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As a response to the pandemic, OsMun allocated one of its hospital wings to treat COVID-19 cases. They also converted six rooms and turned it into temporary ICUs for severe and critical COVID-19 patients. This is in addition to their regular ICU set up which has a 13-bed capacity. However, since the need for critical care remains high, they are still in the process of expanding the temporary ICU to add more. With this, additional ICU equipment are also needed to provide quality health care service to the patients.

To help OsMun respond to the needs of the COVID-19 patients, Dow Chemical Philippines Inc., Fluor Daniel Inc., Philippines, CAF America, and PBSP turned over a heavy-duty suction machine, three units of cardiac monitors, and four units of infusion pumps for the COVID-19 ICU of the hospital.

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The virtual turnover was attended by OsMun Medical Director Atty. Edwin Dimatatac MD, Dow Chemical Philippines Country Manager Bobby Batungbacal, Fluor Daniel Inc., Philippines IT Service Delivery Manager and Philippines Community Affairs Chair Angelo Cagatin, PBSP Executive Director Elvin Ivan Uy, and PBSP Director for Operations Kristine Rivadelo.

“In this time of pandemic, the government cannot do this alone. We really need help and collaboration with private institutions and companies. These donations will really help us a lot in our ICU,” said Atty. Dimatatac during the virtual turnover of the ICU medical equipment.

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