PH orders 200K nasal cannula machines: Palace

FILE: Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. on January 4, 2018  JOEY DALUMPINES/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA – The national government has ordered 200,000 units of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) machines, a life-saving equipment used for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), Malacañang said Tuesday.

In a virtual Palace briefing on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said these HFNC machines are more effective than ventilators as a treatment option for Covid-19.

“Ang mabuting balita po, alam na natin kung paano maisalba ang buhay ng mga nagkakasakit. Alam na po natin na merong isang makina, yung high-pressure nasal equipment na mas mabuti daw po kesa sa ventilators na gamitin (The good news is, we know now how to save the lives of those getting sick. We know that there is a machine, a high-pressure nasal equipment which are better than ventilators),” he said.

Roque said the HFNC machines are effective in improving oxygenation for Covid-19 patients and are also much cheaper than ventilators.

“Napatunayan world-wide na tunay na life-saving machines ang mga ito (It has been proven world-wide that these are really life-saving machines),” he added.

HFNC machines involve the use of a small plastic prong which is fitted into each nostril and blows in oxygen at a high flow rate.

Meanwhile, Roque maintained that government has already presented a Covid-19 Recovery Plan, which focuses on the testing, isolation, and treatment of patients.

He reiterated the importance of transferring asymptomatic and mild Covid-19 patients to isolation centers to prevent transmission among members of the household and the community.

According to Roque, Duterte’s Cabinet members have already been detailing the Recovery Plan during pre-SONA briefings.

As of Monday, there are a total of 82,040 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country, of which 26,446 are recoveries and 1,945 are deaths.

Out of the 82,040 confirmed cases, 4,863 are asymptomatic, 48,305 are mild, 220 are critical, and 261 are severe.

Currently, he said the country’s case fatality rate has also dropped from 2.9 percent in July 14 to 2.37 percent in July 27.