The Department of Health in the Davao region and a hospital in Butuan City sent nurses to Metro Manila to help respond to the COVID-19 surge in the capital region.
Hospitals in Metro Manila were filled with patients and health workers recently due to the kick-off of COVID-19 cases.
Five volunteer nurses were sent on Wednesday by the Department of Health Davao Regional Office, and they will be assigned to San Lazaro Hospital in Manila until May 14, 2021.
The local DOH encouraged other doctors, nurses, and medical technologists to volunteer as additional health workers in Manila.
Manuel J. Santos Hospital sent four nurses to Butuan, who traveled on Wednesday.
This is the second time that Manuel J. Santos Hospital has sent nurses to NCR.
Cebu City had earlier sent 50 health workers to Metro Manila to help respond to the COVID-19 surge.
Nurses from Butuan, Davao sent to Metro Manila
Last week, some medical frontliners from Ilocos and Visayas will travel to the capital region to help.
This is while many health workers at the epicenter of the epidemic are also infected and have difficulty responding to the outbreak of cases of the disease.
On April 8, the first batch of health workers comprising 50 nurses arrived.
According to Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, said their ongoing interaction with the Office of the Presidential Adviser to the Visayas, regional offices of the Department of Health (DOH), local government units, and even hospitals in the Visayas for sending volunteer medical frontliners to Metro Manila.
He said there is a need to increase the force of medical workers in the National Capital Region and 4 neighboring provinces— Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna — dubbed “NCR Plus,” especially since the health workers are tired due to the number of COVID-19. cases.
Frontliner volunteers will receive an additional 20 percent premium on their basic pay under the Bayanihan to Recover As One-Act.
The DOH will pay for their trip to Metro Manila, and the receiving hospitals will pay for their food, accommodation, and transportation.