BACOLOD City – Department of Environment and Natural Resources secretary Roy Cimatu will be here today to assess the local coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation as local infections continue to spike.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he was informed by Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go of the scheduled visit after the mayor himself sent an urgent appeal to President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday.
Cimatu will be joined by Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino and Major General Mel Feliciano – the Environment secretary’s partner in the Cebu special COVID-19 mission.
During their visit, the Cabinet officials will hold separate meetings with officials of Bacolod City and Negros Occidental.
Leonardia said he also received a phone call from Peace Process Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the chief implementer of the National Task Force on COVID-19, who promised to catch up with the Thursday meeting.
“If he cannot make it, Galvez will instead come to Bacolod next week,” the mayor said.
Earlier, Leonardia sent an emergency letter of appeal to President Duterte.
He requested an augmentation team of 150 nurses, 20 doctors, and 30 medical technologists due to the of healthcare personnel in hospitals in this city.
The mayor said he was alarmed that since Aug. 23, hospitals here refused admission of COVID-19 patients as they have already reached full capacity or there are no more doctors and nurses to take care of additional patients.
“Our need for medical staff to fill up the gap in our hospitals is great, Mr. President. Patients died in their homes for failing to avail themselves of emergency hospital services,” read part of Leonardia’s letter.
The Cabinet contingent will hold separate meetings with officials of this city and Negros Occidental.
Leonardia said he also received a phone call from Peace Process secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the chief implementer of the National Task Force on COVID-19, who promised to catch up with today’s meeting.
Galvez, according to the mayor, committed “to deploy Region 7 (Central Visayas) nurses and doctors (to Bacolod)” and also arrange with the DOH-Western Visayas to bring in more medical personnel.
He also said Major General Robert Ancan, chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command, committed to deploy a medical team composed of army doctors, nurses and support health workers to this city. (With PNA/PN)
