Mayor Isko Moreno and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna inspect the Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital with City Engineer Armand Andres (Moreno’s left) and City Electrician Randy Sadac and City Architect Pepito Balmoris (not in photo). It will be opened on the city’s founding anniversary on June 24. Photo by JERRY S. TAN
Health workers undergo training as MCFH opens on June 24
THERE will be no ‘honeymoon period’ for all the doctors, nurses and all other personnel as they will begin, all at once, the arduous task of taking care of numerous COVID-19 patients from the first hour day that the Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital (MCFH) opens on June 24 to mark the city’s 450th Founding Anniversary.
Mayor Isko Moreno said that the 127 personnel who have been hired days ago to serve in the said hospital are now undergoing thorough training in preparation for the difficult and dangerous task ahead.
The mayor told the newly-hired healthcare workers to prepare themselves to accepting about a hundred COVID-19 patients on their first day on the job.
“First thing in the morning, expect that about 100 patients will come to you. Giyera kaagad, wala nang honeymoon stage so you will have to adapt, learn fast and think fast,” Moreno said.
“Mahirap ako ka-trabaho because I would require you to put your heart in it. The best part of public service is when you hear those two words — thank you,” he said.
The said hospital, which was built in a record 52 days, opens on June 24 and will be the city government’s gift to Manilans. Moreno imposed a two-month deadline but the city officials in charge, namely city engineer Armand Andres, city architect Pepito Balmoris and city electrician Randy Sadac, finished the hospital eight days ahead of the deadline.
Moreno said it was built to declog the six city-run hospitals of mild and moderate cases of COVID-19 so they can focus on the serious cases of the coronavirus and other illnesses as well.
The hospital will be headed by Dr. Arlyn Dominguez and will be under the reins of Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna, who supervises all of the city’s hospitals.
The mayor called on the newly-hired personnel to tell their friends who are qualified and who would want to serve despite the hazards that the city government is still hiring.
Moreno added: “If you put your heart in what you do, you will never get tired… pag sinapuso mo, di mapapagod ang isip at damdamin mo. Maaring kalawitin ka ng katawan, hilahin ka ng kama pero pag pinikit mo mata mo sa sobrang pagod you will have happy thoughts. ‘Yun ang aking baterya sa buhay. It keeps me going.”
