MANILA – The Philippine Navy (PN) and various stakeholders on Monday night turned over 50 medical protective overalls or “bunny suits” to the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP).
This is in response to the appeal of hospital officials for more personal protective equipment (PPE) suits and gowns as their supplies are running out amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) crisis.
PN public affairs office chief Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas said the “bunny suits” were requested from Tsukiden Philippines, LTI.
“Recognizing the ordeals of our health care workers on the frontline of this pandemic, the (Navy) chief directed concerned PN units to engage and coordinate with partner-stakeholders to help sustain the hospital’s capability to handle Covid-19 patients,” Roxas added.
She said former PN flag-officer-in-command, retired Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga, recommended to Navy chief Rear Adm. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo to seek the assistance of the Biñan, Laguna-based electronic manufacturing company, through Jun Papa and Herson Tabanda, who immediately responded and donated the 50 “bunny suits”.
Navy personnel picked up and transported the donated medical coveralls to the LCP, demonstrating its ability to link donors to beneficiaries especially in this time of crisis.
Roxas said these “bunny suits” will augment the dwindling number of protective suits in the LCP which, according to Dr. Antonio Ramos, a Lung Center official, “uses about 80 to 100 suits a day as it handles 40 patients.”
“With this, the PN continuously appeals for more donations of needed equipment for our medical front-liners in the Lung Center of the Philippines as they are expanding their services after the government assigned it as among the country’s dedicated Covid-19 hospitals,” she added.