The city government has purchased 1,000 sets of full personal protective equipment (PPE) that would be used by health and rescue personnel should they need to respond to cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Executive Assistant Jose Maria Vargas said the fund used to buy the equipment was part of the PHP10-million allocation approved by the City Council for the prevention and control of Covid-19.

Each set of PPE costs PHP3,750. The PPE includes protective clothing, gloves, goggles, facemasks and other equipment designed to protect the wearer from the spread of infection or illness.

Personnel of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) conducted a demonstration on how to put on and take off the PPE during the orientation for the barangay health emergency response teams (BHERTs) held at the MassKara Hall of the Bacolod Government Center on Monday afternoon.

“We are conducting a demonstration so they will know the procedures we will carry out,” said Vargas, who is also the cluster head for the CDRRMO.

He added that members of BHERTs need to familiarize themselves with the protective gear that would be used by responders when bringing out a suspected Covid-19 patient in their area.

Vargas clarified that those who comprise the emergency response teams in the barangay would not handle patients but would only inform the City Health Office (CHO) of the case.

The CHO will then alert the CDRMMO, which will dispatch a response team to the area.

“We have simplified the procedure. They (BHERTs) cannot handle the patient,” Vargas said.

He added that they have also purchased masks, gloves, and alcohol supplies that would be provided to the BHERTs.

Vargas said although all the eight patients under investigation (PUIs) in Bacolod have already been discharged after testing negative for Covid-19, the city government still needs to be vigilant.

“We cannot be certain. It is possible that after the eight, there will be other persons who will come to Bacolod who have traveled (to affected areas). We cannot be complacent, we still have to be prepared,” he said.

The demonstration of the donning and doffing of the PPE was also witnessed by Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, chair of the city inter-agency task force against Covid-19.

In Memorandum Order 12, Leonardia said the BHERTs, which will help manage Covid-19 suspects and their contacts, would be supervised by the CHO. (PNA)