De Lima urges DOH to adopt SoKor measures on COVID-19
Published Mar 30, 2020 12:00 am
By Hannah Torregoza
Detained Senator Leila de Lima on Monday urged the country’s top health officials to adopt South Korea’s attitude in dealing with COVID-19.
Sen. Leila de Lima (PRIB Photo by Alex Nuevaespaña / File Photo MANILA BULLETIN)
De Lima said Department of Health (DOH) officials should take the advice of South Korea’s Vice Health Minister who stressed the importance of securing public participation through openness and transparency, and respecting creative thinking and the use of cutting-edge technology to develop the most effective response against the coronavirus.
“In the case of South Korea, around 9,332 people were infected but with only 139 deaths. What is South Korea’s secret? The trace, test, and treat strategy,” De Lima said in a statement.
“South Korea has been aggressive in testing that it rolled out 118 facilities, not to mention the innovative drive-thru COVID-19 testing facilities.”
De Lima also pointed to the importance of mass testing, which entails the focused and strategic targeting or identification of the segments of the populace, particularly those who have been identified as patients under investigation (PUIs) and patients under monitoring (PUMs), the elderly, the sick or sickly, those with underlying illnesses or pre-existing conditions or the vulnerables, and the high-risks, particularly in high-density areas.
“You prioritize them, en masse or in substantial numbers, in proportion to existing and projected capacities, them move on to cover more clusters and areas as capacities improve,” she said.
“Planado, desidido, at aktibong pagkilos po ang ating lubhang kailangan sa ngayon, she said. (We desperately need planned, decisive, and active moves right now.)
The lawmaker said the DOH should expedite all the needed processes—from procurement of testing kits, and other related equipment; immediate assessment and accreditation of available testing kits, related equipment and facilities, whether procured or donated; distribution to available facilities and deployment of needed manpower—to improve capacities.
Sen. Leila de Lima (PRIB Photo by Alex Nuevaespaña / File Photo MANILA BULLETIN)
De Lima said Department of Health (DOH) officials should take the advice of South Korea’s Vice Health Minister who stressed the importance of securing public participation through openness and transparency, and respecting creative thinking and the use of cutting-edge technology to develop the most effective response against the coronavirus.
“In the case of South Korea, around 9,332 people were infected but with only 139 deaths. What is South Korea’s secret? The trace, test, and treat strategy,” De Lima said in a statement.
“South Korea has been aggressive in testing that it rolled out 118 facilities, not to mention the innovative drive-thru COVID-19 testing facilities.”
De Lima also pointed to the importance of mass testing, which entails the focused and strategic targeting or identification of the segments of the populace, particularly those who have been identified as patients under investigation (PUIs) and patients under monitoring (PUMs), the elderly, the sick or sickly, those with underlying illnesses or pre-existing conditions or the vulnerables, and the high-risks, particularly in high-density areas.
“You prioritize them, en masse or in substantial numbers, in proportion to existing and projected capacities, them move on to cover more clusters and areas as capacities improve,” she said.
“Planado, desidido, at aktibong pagkilos po ang ating lubhang kailangan sa ngayon, she said. (We desperately need planned, decisive, and active moves right now.)
The lawmaker said the DOH should expedite all the needed processes—from procurement of testing kits, and other related equipment; immediate assessment and accreditation of available testing kits, related equipment and facilities, whether procured or donated; distribution to available facilities and deployment of needed manpower—to improve capacities.