Chinese experts arrive in PH to help in Covid-19 fight

‘LABAN PILIPINAS.’ Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (9th from right), Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. (8th from right) and PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar (7th from left) welcome the arrival of a medical expert team from the People’s Republic of China at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Parañaque City on Sunday (April 5, 2020). The medical team will assist the Department of Health in the coronavirus emergency response. (PNA photo by joey O. Razon)

MANILA — A group of Chinese medical experts arrived in Manila on Sunday to provide assistance to the Philippines as it continues to battle the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque, in an interview with government media, said the country’s pool of medical professionals will hugely benefit from the experience of the 12-member team who took the heat of the pandemic.

“They have a lot of good practices, if not, best-practices, when they manage their patients, the Covid-19 patients, in Wuhan and Hubei,” Duque added.

Wuhan, China was the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.

Duque added that the Chinese experts started sharing their advice, including medical practices, that helped their country increase their number of recoveries.

He said drugs like Hydroxychloroquine and Favipiravir (Avigan) are seen to have effectiveness in treating Covid-19 patients.

The Chinese medical experts will be visiting hospitals with the Department of Health (DOH) staff to conduct training.

“But there will be a lot of video conferencing because we do not want them to be exposed,” he said.

Asked whether the team will join in the treatment, Duque said their task here will be “purely advisory, it is really guiding how to improve, level-up our Covid-19 response, learn different levels of surveillance, risk-assessment, isolation strategies, detection through accurate testing, clinical case management, and non-pharmaceutical public health measures.”

Donations

Along with the team of experts, the Chinese airline also brought protective equipment to ensure that the lives of the front-liners are safe while they cure infected patients.

The Chinese Embassy said its government has donated 300,000 surgical masks, 30,000 medical N95 masks, 5,000 medical protective face shields and 30 non-invasive ventilators.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin Jr. who welcomed the team at the airport, expressed his gratitude for the “support they give in a time of need”.

“China prepared for this actually since SARS but this is a new mutation so they also have to learn about this and they took the heat. They are now sharing with us how to fight it, contain it, how to deal with it,” Locsin said in an interview.

He added that the country has zeroed in on the number of patients affected by the viral disease. However, they are observing new infections that are “imported cases”.

“They can teach us a lot of their ways. So we thank the government of China, in Beijing, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this great help. Never to be forgotten,” he added.