CLARK FREEPORT -- A health executive has cited medical workers as "bastion of hope" against the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We really have to bond together because the last bastion of hope is in the health care community," Dr. Jacqueline Ciron-Angeles, medical director at The Medical City-Clark (TMC), said in a recent radio-television interview with Clark In Action.
Clark in Action is a program of Clark Development Corporation aired over UFM 105.5FM with a simulcast on ACCTN or Air Cable Channel 3, a public affairs station of Converge ICT, a company owned by Dennis Uy of Angeles City.
"We're not really thinking much about ourselves anymore because we are moving to the survival of the community," Angeles added.
Guided by their Hippocratic Oath, Angeles also mentioned that their main objective is to continuously provide services for people and help the nation combat the spread of the disease.
"Being front liners, our primary goal is to take care of the community (our patients) because we are talking about our nation," Angeles said while on a video broadcast from Metro Manila.
Emphasizing the importance of camaraderie during these times, Angeles also urged the public to continue extending support to frontline workers. She added that one of the fundamental parts of battling the virus starts with every individual by adhering to safety protocols.
"It's not just the frontline community but I'd like to appeal to the entire people who are listening to us right now, please kailangan po ng tulong from your end -- that is by following what we said na kailangan social distancing, hand hygiene, cough etiquette and respiratory etiquette," Angeles said.
Recognizing the effort of various organizations and individuals in assisting medical personnel during the enhanced community quarantine, Angeles also expressed gratitude to various partners to ensure the safety of their workforce.
Angeles said the whole TMC is ready to welcome and be utilized by suspected Covid-19 patients. Safety protocols and guidelines that are in line with the Department of Health (DOH), and World Health Organization (WHO) are also being implemented for medical workers are being observed at TMC Clark.
"Since January 24, we have already formed a team -- we call it the ERT Task Force Covid in the hospital which is composed of multi-department, meaning hindi lang mga doctors and nurses but the entire support system of the hospital in terms of logistics, supply, financial support, so pati housekeeping disinfection," she said.
Angeles added that the TMC-Clark will remain open to accommodate and deliver services to patients.
TMC, a 100-bed capacity premier hospital inside the Clark Global City, offers various specialization and expertise. Its flagship services include the CardioVascular and Burn centers. Some 300 medical doctors are affiliated with the hospital that also specializes in critical care programs with a multi-disciplinary approach to stroke, cancer, and other serious illnesses.