THE Cebu City Government has begun the distribution of the personal protective equipment (PPE) it purchased following the rise of the confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the country.
In February, the City Council approved an amount of P15 million to be utilized in purchasing PPE, medicine and disinfectants.
Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak said PPE such as protective suits, masks, goggles and digital thermal scanners were already distributed to Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) on March 10.
Aside from CCMC, other recipients of the PPE are the health responders, police personnel, Bureau of Quarantine and Bureau of Immigration.
However, he said the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) encountered a problem during purchasing as suppliers could not provide the number of supplies the City ordered.
“The problem of the BAC is the suppliers were not able to provide the quantities set by the City,” said Tumulak.
According to Tumulak, the BAC is now coordinating with the Department of Health (DOH) to discuss whether or not the City can purchase from its suppliers.
Tumulak added that the City has identified buildings as possible holding areas for persons under monitoring (PUM). He refused to disclose the locations of the buildings.
He said most of the hospitals in the city are on Level 2 and Level 3 status and are capable of housing patients under investigation (PUI).
For now, there are no plans to augment the P15 million budget of the City and Tumulak is only waiting for a request from the City Health Office. He assured the public that the City has enough funds for it.
Since the DOH has been encouraging the public to practice proper hygiene as the major measure to avoid contracting disease, Tumulak said it means more water consumption.
The Cebu City Council urged the private water suppliers to support the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) in providing water to the consumers.
Meanwhile, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella will meet with all city public and private schools, from elementary to college level, on Thursday, March 12, to discuss concerns regarding graduation rites. (JJL)