THE Department of Health (DOH)-Zamboanga Peninsula on Monday, September 27, deployed 44 health workers to different local hospitals as an augmentation in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Dr. Joshua Brillantes, DOH-Zamboanga Peninsula director, said the 44 health workers, composed of 38 nurses and six midwives, were hired under the agency's human resource for health deployment.

Brillantes said they will be deployed in the following hospitals: Zamboanga Doctor's Hospital, West Metro Medical Center, Hospital del Zamboanga, Brent Hospital and Colleges Incorporated, Zamboanga Peninsula Medical Centers, and Ciudad Medical Zamboanga.

“It is the response of the DOH-Zamboanga Peninsula to augment health workers to hospitals to help address Covid-19,” Brillantes said.

Meanwhile, he urged the local government and community leaders to strengthen the fight against Covid-19 in the community level.

He said the hospital should be the last line of defense against the virus.

"It is more expensive and there will be more mortalities in the hospital than the fight against Covid-19 in the community," he said. (SunStar Zamboanga)