Gordon calls for health workers for Red Cross field hospitals

MANILA – Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO, Senator Richard Gordon has called for more healthcare workers to monitor mild to moderate or recovering Covid-19 positive patients to be admitted to the Emergency Covid-19 Field Hospitals (EFH) that the PRC is establishing, which will free upwards and emergency rooms in hospitals for more critical patients.

PRC put up in the past week 18 air-conditioned tents that will serve as surge facilities of the Lung Center of the Philippines, eight of which can admit a total of 100 patients.

PRC will equip the EFH with patient monitoring equipment such as pulse oximeters, mobile X-ray machines, ECG machines, and cardiac monitors.

“Padadagdagan pa natin ng additional tents kung kakailanganin. Pero kahit na magdagdag ka ng kama, kung kulang ang doctors at nurses, talagang under siege ang ating healthcare system (We put up additional tents if needed. But even if we add more beds if we lack doctors and nurses, our healthcare system is indeed under siege),” Gordon said in an interview.

“Ang gusto ko nga, magkaroon tayo ng medic volunteers. Kung mag-train tayo for one to two weeks ng mga minders, anuman ang background nila, we can test them para makatulong sila na mag-monitor ng mga pasyente habang sila ay naka-full personal protective equipment (PPE). Kahit mga 18 years old, pwedeng tumulong (What I want is to have medic volunteers. If we would train minders for one to two weeks, whatever their background, we can test them to help in monitoring patients while they are in full personal protective equipment. Even 18 years old can help),” he added.

To minimize the exposure of the healthcare workers and to ensure their welfare while stationed at the EFH, the PRC has set up a PPE donning and doffing area, portable hand washing stations in all work areas, and staff quarters with a pantry.

Gordon also enjoined the government to provide support to potential volunteers and prioritize their vaccination so they can immediately take care of the patients.

“We’re going to win this fight if everybody helps out. Kaya dapat habang nagdadagdag tayo ng hospital beds ay nagre-reinforce tayo ng volunteers (That’s why while we are putting more hospital beds, we are reinforcing our volunteers),” Gordon said, adding that the humanitarian organization is also securing other areas for more EFH deployment. (PR)