“Self-reliance”, more oxygen apparatus needed in Covid battle – CDRRMO

“An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.”

City government offices should have their own respective coronavirus-2019 (Covid-19) contingency plans especially now that the more infectious Delta variant has emerged according to City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) chief Antonette Anaban.

In Tuesday’s online management committee  meeting of local officials led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, she said that this is in keeping with the city’s push towards “self-reliance” and will encourage offices to be pro-active in dealing with the pandemic and not be overly dependent on other departments.

She is advising government and private establishments to designate their respective health protocol officer to enforce minimum public health standards in their work places subject to orientation by the Health Services Office so they will know what to do when an employee tests positive of the virus.

In her report on the city’s Delta variant contingency plan, Anaban said the city currently has 250 tanks of oxygen supply for emergency use that can be accessed at the CDRRMO.

Of these tanks, 99 are five pounds; 100 are ten pounds; and 14 tanks are filled with 20 pounds of oxygen.

These tanks can also be for personal use as long as these are returned already refilled with oxygen, Anaban said.

She said there is a need for the city to procure additional oxygen regulators and high flow cannulas as the Mayor warned of an expected surge in Delta variant cases this week necessitating the availability of more oxygen ventilators. – Gaby B. Keith, 16.Sept.2021