Saturday, 22 August 2020 15:39

CdeO City Hall acquires humidifiers to boost NMMC health care capacity

Written by Stephen Capillas
CdeO City Hall acquires humidifiers to boost NMMC health care capacity Screengrab photo with additional photo by Nicasio Anches and humidifier photo sourced from Wires

About five high pressure oxygen humidifiers acquired by Cagayan de Oro City Hall are scheduled for delivery this week for turnover to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC), the City Health Insurance Office (CHIO) said Tuesday morning (Aug. 18).

“The high pressure oxygen humidifiers are ideal for using on COVID-19 patients with early mild symptoms and it will allow NMMC to reserve their mechanical ventilators for use on critical COVID-19 cases. That way, NMMC´s critical care utilization rate (CCUR) (or health care capacity won´t exceed critical levels),” CHIO chief Dr. William Bernardo said during Tuesday morning´s press briefing.

City Hall´s acquisition of the high pressure oxygen humidifiers are on top of two reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machines and two automated extractor machines it acquired and lent to NMMC, the designated COVID-19 referral hospital in northern Mindanao.

Mayor Oscar Moreno previously announced City Hall´s acquisition of the humidifiers in Monday noon´s (Aug. 17) press briefing, saying the city´s allocation of these medical equipment will not only benefit Cagayan de Oro City but its neighbors in Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon provinces as well as local governments in Region 10.

“These humidifiers along with their accessories are preventive (and it will augment NMMC´s capacity). By helping the NMMC we are helping not only ourselves but everyone else in northern Mindanao since the NMMC (is doing the heavy lifting as far as handling) COVID-19 cases in Region 10 is concerned,” Mayor Moreno said.

Both Mayor Moreno and Dr. Bernardo reiterated that all medical equipment lent by Cagayan de Oro City to both NMMC and the Department of Health (DOH-10) are a ´sound investment´ for the city since it will benefit everyone in northern Mindanao and can be used beyond COVID-19.

“City Hall´s acquisition of this equipment is in keeping with the national government mandate to use public resources wisely and to benefit as many people as possible. We do this by ensuring that such use of public resources is cost efficient and cost effective. By doing this we live up to the bayanihan spirit not only by word but by deed,” Dr. Bernardo said.