The City Government of Davao is constructing three permanent Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMFs) in the city’s three congressional districts in preparation for the worst COVID-19 case scenario.
Dr. Michelle Schlosser, the spokesperson of the Davao City COVID-19 Task Force, during the COVID-19 Alert program over 87.5 Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Wednesday, July 13, said that although the current TTMF bed capacity has not reached a concerning level yet, it is best for the city to be always ready.
“We’re constructing TTMFs for infectious diseases apart sa atoang COVID-19 Cluster Clinics. At the moment, we have three cluster clinics existing. We are preparing for the worst, ingon ana ang Davao City (We’re constructing TTMFs for infectious diseases apart from our COVID-19 Cluster Clinics. At the moment, we have three cluster clinics existing. We are preparing for the worst, that’s how it is in Davao City),” she said.
The Marilog District TTMF at the Marilog District Hospital, Paquibato District TTM at the Paquibato District Hospital, and the Bunawan District TTMF at the Tibungco Lying-in are the ones being constructed. Each TTMF building costs P10 million.
The Marilog District TTMF, which is 60 percent completed as of June 30, 2022, is expected to be finished on July 28 while the Paquibato District TTMF, now at 85 percent completion, is targeted to be done by July 25, and the Bunawan District TTMF, which is 75 percent accomplished, will be completed on July 18.
Schlosser also said, “However, if atoang gi-construct nga TTMF is not enough, we will re-activate previous strategies dati. Nag-rent ta’g mga hotels. As of the moment, wala ta’y activation of those things pero ginapreparahan sya kahit wala ta’y need for it (Should our TTMFs are not enough we will re-activate previous strategies. We rented hotels. As of the moment, we won’t activate those things but we are preparing although we do not need them yet).”
As of July 9, 2022, BSP Camp Malagos has 19 of its 85 beds utilized while the Davao International Airport has 36 of its 154 beds used, and 23 of the 37 beds at the Mental Wellness Center are also accommodating COVID-19 patients.
The city health official assured that Davao City can very well manage any surge of cases as home isolation for eligible COVID-19 positive patients has been in effect for several months now.
As of July 9, 2022, Davao City logged a total of 151 active cases with a 3.8 percent positivity rate after 15 of the 397 swabbed individuals yielded a positive result.
Schlosser added that as of July 13, the city recorded 20 new COVID-19 cases with a 5.6 percent positivity rate.
She reminded Dabawenyos to continue adhering to the mandatory face mask-wearing and proper hand hygiene to prevent infection and to get themselves vaccinated to lower the risk of getting a severe or critical type of COVID-19 that might result in death since transmission of the invisible coronavirus is inevitable. CIO
