DOH XI hires more nurses, doctors

DAVAO CITY, September 6 (PIA) – The Department of Health XI bared its emergency hiring for nurses and doctors following the need to augment the personnel requirement of COVID19 hospitals from all over the region.

The head of the DOH XI Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit Dr. Rachel Pasion, in today’s DOH Virtual Presser reported that in Davao City alone combining both the COVID19 hospitals and the private hospitals have utilized 674 COVID19 beds out of the 830 beds or 79.4 utilization rate. This brings the region’s critical care utilization at a high risk level.

The Southern Philippine Medical Center, in the past few days, released an advisory informing the public that it has been experiencing an unusually high volume of patients needing admission for COVID19.

As of September 5, the facility has utilized 85 ICU beds out of the 92 total number of beds; utilized 490 ward beds out of 496 total number of beds. 

In the Province of Davao Oriental which is experiencing a surge in COVID19 cases with 1,289 active cases and 166 deaths, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Reden Bersaldo called for an augmentation of healthcare workers to help the province address the surge.

“The people who are helping in the vaccination roll out are the same people who are involved in the treatment of these COVID19 patients. We really need more healthworkers here,” said Dr. Bersaldo.

In Davao City, the DOH XI shared that they are in talks with the local government on the plan to add more facilities.

The government offices are said to be conducting an inventory of health workers needed for the augmentation and to support the plan for establishing additional facilities.

Dr. Raquel Montejo said that the DOH XI is also in talks with other government offices such as the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), to have their in-house nurses and doctors volunteer to be deployed in hospitals and other COVID19 facilities.

COVID19 cases in Davao Region continue to rise with 14,651 active cases and 2,277 deaths as of September. Bulk of these activte cases are in Davao City with 6,712; Davao del Norte with 1,790; Davao del Sur with 3,146; Davao de Oro with 570 cases; Davao Oriental with 1,289 cases, and Davao Occidental with 1,144 cases. (PIA XI/Frances Mae Macapagat)