CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – This province, led by Gov. Dennis “Delta” G. Pineda, is again in the forefront in responding to an emergency to help fellow Filipinos.
Just days after being the first to respond to help Taal Volcano eruption victims, Pineda is again in the forefront to accept repatriated overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from Wuhan, China, ground zero of the Wuhan coronavirus or the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease (2019 nCoV ARD).
This time, about 100 health workers in the province were trained on how to respond and manage possible cases of the Wuhan coronavirus.
Medical personnel from the different district hospitals, and health representatives from Angeles City and Clark Development Corporation, who will serve as front line personnel when the need arises, were trained with the basic knowledge and protocols to assist patients who will be infected with the virus.
Pampanga Provincial Health Officer Marcelo Jaochico said the training will likewise give participants the knowledge they could use in treating and managing other epidemic diseases.
During the training, group team leader Jay Rivera assured the participants that all necessary equipment and assistance, will be provided by the provincial government.
“The provincial government has committed to provide all your Personal Protective Equipment like gloves, N-95 masks, gowns, and goggles for your safety and protection,” he said.
Relative to this, Jaochico reminded the trained medical doctors that only those personnel assigned at the emergency room are advised to wear face mask.
“Not everyone is advised to wear face masks, because it would cause panic among people if they see health care workers wearing face masks,” Jaochico said.
It was learned that the training was in partnership with the provincial government, Jose B. Lingad Regional Medical Center and the Department of Health.
Aside from this training, the provincial government also led a health summit for barangay health workers and personnel from private hospitals to maximize monitoring and control of the virus in the province.
To date, there are 16 reported patients under investigation in Central Luzon.
