A councilor of Baguio has submitted a resolution urging government health agencies and medical facilities/practitioners to provide home care for people have tested positive for the Covid-19.
The proposed resolution penned by Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda states the home care program may provide, among others, consultations (physical or by virtual means), monitoring, medication, health kits, testing, and medical clearances.
The health care program can be offered by government health agencies like the Department of Health, the City Health Services Office, the district health centers, or by private hospitals/facilities, or practitioners.
Citing reports from the CHSO, Tabanda said many patients either do not show symptoms or have mild symptoms, which only require that they isolate at home provided they have adequate facilities.
Tabanda said the surge in cases, at any given time, may cause a possible shortage of hospital and isolation beds, thus the need to put into place home care programs so as not to overwhelm the hospitals and isolation facilities in the city.
In the city council’s session Nov. 24, City Health Officer Rowena Galpo said as of Jan. 23, hospital care utilization rate in the city is at 68.60 percent and isolation bed occupancy is 71.46 percent.
Based on the data of the CHSO, a decreasing number of Covid-19 active cases was seen from Nov. 7 to 13, 2021 (197 cases) to Dec. 19 to 25, 2021 (4 cases). However, a rapid increase in the number of cases was observed from Dec. 26, 2021 to Jan. 1(63 cases) to Jan. 16 to 21, 2022 (3,902 cases).
Galpo said the CHSO is currently conducting remote diagnosis through a system called telemedicine and treatment of COVID-19 patients through telecommunications technology.
Galpo added doctors of the city government also visit patients at their homes.
As of Jan. 24, , 48 isolated patients have already been visited. – Jordan G. Habbiling
April 20, 2024
