Cagayan Valley hospital hires more staff as Covid-19 cases surge

TUGUEGARAO CITY – As coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patients soared to 194 at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) on Tuesday, hospital officials used additional 50 beds to accommodate more cases.

Cagayan Valley Medical Center

Dr. Glenn Mathew Baggao, CVMC hospital chief, told the Philippine News Agency in an interview that they also increased their workforce with 100 nurses, doctors, medical technologists, and radiology technicians, and doubled up their ward supplies, ventilators, oxygens and other items.

“The trend, as we can see, is still increasing so we are having more workforce to do the jobs,” Baggao said.

Unless a tighter quarantine status from the existing general community quarantine is implemented especially in Cagayan, the “uptrend cases will further fill up hospitals primarily CVMC, the regional government hospital,” he said.

Baggao said of the current number of patients at CVMC, 163 are confirmed Covid-19 positive while 31 are suspected cases.

COVID-19 SURGE. Cases of Covid-19 have ballooned in Cagayan Valley, with patients waiting to be admitted outside the Cagayan Valley Medical Center. Dr. Glenn Mathew Baggao, chief of Cagayan Valley Medical Center, said Tuesday (Aug. 10, 2021) they have beefed up their workforce to be able to attend to more patients. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Glenn Mathew Baggao)

Cagayan province accounts for the bulk of CVMC patients with 146 cases, mostly from Tuguegarao City.

The other patients are from Isabela, Kalinga and Apayao provinces.

“It is so saddening for us as people tend to relax after getting vaccinated. Still, it is not a guarantee that you will be spared from the virus. Much more that the Delta virus is already in the region,” Baggao said. (PNA)