Health Secretary Francisco Duque III addresses officials and medical frontliners of Cabanatuan City. Photo by Armand M. Galang
CABANATUAN CITY – The Inter-Agency Task Force against Covid-19 on Wednesday lauded the city government for its enhanced capacity to contain the virus, including its cold chain facilities and 320-patient capacity temporary treatment and monitoring facility (TTMF).
“Talaga namang handang-handa,” said Health Sec. Francisco Duque III after visiting several vaccination centers, oxygen refilling plants, cold storage and the TTMF in Barangay Kap. Pepe here along with NTF against Covid -19 chief Implementer Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., deputy chief implementer Secretary Vivencio “Vince” B. Dizon, WHO representative to the Philippines Rabindra Abeyasinghe, Mayor Myca Elizabeth Vergara, and Vice Mayor Julius Cesar Vergara.
The activity was part of IATF’s vaccination site visitation in Nueva Ecija and in various parts of the country to step up efforts in containing the coronavirus disease.
“Aba e hindi naman lahat ng mga pamahalaang lokal ay mayroong ganung kapasidad,” Duque said of the cold storage. The TTMF, on the other hand, is one of the biggest in the country, he added.
“Ang laki pong tulong nito at pwedeng sasabihin natin na maganda, kakaunti o walang karga pero they are preparing for the worst case scenario. Kasi hindi natin masasabi, gaya ng sinabi ni Sec. Vince Dizon, ay hindi pa ito tapos dahil ang isa sa mga katangian ng Covid ay yung kakayahang magbago nang magbago o yung mutation,” the country’s health chief stressed.
No one, he said, can say when the pandemic would end. “Your guess is as good as mine,” said Duque.
Mayor Vergara said the TTMF which rooms have individual air-conditioning units, beds, and comfort rooms among others, is currently housing medical staff and employees of Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center who have to undergo 7-day quarantine after hospital duties.
Vice Mayor Vergara explained the city government used to spend P1,000 per day for each person in hotel accommodation for patients and frontliners thus the creation of TTMF.
Dizon also lauded the LGU for achieving 67 percent of its target in vaccination to date. On Tuesday night, he said, 25,000 Jansen vaccines were delivered to the LGU for the stepped up vaccination drive that started Wednesday.
Vergara’s decision to inoculate non-residents is a big help in fighting the pandemic, officials said.
