A shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) is the biggest issue right now for hospitals and healthcare workers around the country. Due to this shortage, Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines distributed PPEs to different hospitals including Bohol. These medical supplies were donated by Tzu Chi Foundation Taiwan and kind donors in the Philippines.
As Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread and confirm cases has increased, Tzu Chi Foundation continues to provide protective supplies to the health workers and frontliners in different hospitals.
On April 25, 2020, Tzu Chi Foundation turned over 360 pcs (N95) Medical Protective Face Mask, 200 pcs Disposable Isolation Gown, 96 pcs Disposable Medical Protective Overalls, 20 pcs Safety Goggles, 900 pcs Surgical Masks, 100 pcs Isolation Caps, 400 pcs Examination Gloves and 100 pcs Shoe Cover to Don Emilio Del Valle Memorial Hospital in Ubay, Bohol.
“I am Nelson Elle, the Chief of Hospital of Don Emilio Del Valle Memorial Hospital. With these PPEs that you are donating to us, this will be very helpful and beneficial to our staff here in our institution. With this PPE, we will be able to protect ourselves from the disease and we will be able to provide quality service to our patients. Aside from that, we are not only protecting ourselves but also preventing the transmission of COVID-19 disease the virus. I would like to thank in behalf of the staff of DEDVMH, I would like to thank Tzu Chi Foundation. “Tzu Chi cares for us” and that’s really true, again thank you very much”. Dr. Nelson stated.
Another set of PPEs were turned over to Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital on April 28, 2020 thru Dr. Mutya Kismet Tirol- Macuno, along with Provincial Governor Art Yap. Since Gallares Hospital is a designated health facility to cater and cure Covid-19 cases. PPEs turned over includes 1140 pcs (N95) medical Protective Face Mask, 700 pcs Disposable Isolation Gown, 216 pcs Disposable Medical Protective Overalls, 40 pcs Safety Goggles, 2100 pc Surgical Masks, 100 pcs. Isolation caps, 900 pcs Examination Gloves and 100 pcs Shoe Cover. These PPEs will help protect health workers against COVID-19 and other communicable diseases.
Provincial Governor Arthur Yap expressed his deepest gratitude to Master Cheng Yen.
“Chinese”__I hope one day we will have the chance to see each other again. Thank you for the beautiful memories of our visits in Taiwan. Thank you very much that you still remember us and you are sending this PPE for our frontliners. So continue to pray for us and to bless the Philippines. We are undergoing very difficult times right now but many people are helping and people are brave as you can see, we are all preparing and we are doing our best. So until that time let us keep each other in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you very much Master”. Governor Art Yap gratefully said.
Dr. Mutya Kismet of Gallares Hospital was also grateful to Tzu Chi and Master Cheng Yen for the PPE that they have received.
“I am Mutya Kismet Macuno, I am the Medical Center Chief II of Gallares Hospital here in Bohol. In Bohol, we are the COVID designated hospital meaning we will be the hospital who will look after possible positive COVID-19 cases. With me are the staff and we are very grateful for the donation that has given to us today, this is such a big help to the health workers that we call frontliners, the nurses, the doctors, the medtechs, even the radiology, everyone who will be able to use this personal protective equipment, we are very grateful. This is complete gear from the coverall, the gown, to the mask, N95, the goggles, the gloves, everything was covered. Thank you so much. This can help prevent the spread of this virus when this health workers will be looking after this patients and this will also reserve the help of all the health workers, so that we can continue to serve the people. Thank you Tzu Chi Foundation, Thank you Master Cheng Yen. Thank you”. Dr. Macuno stated.
With the help of all the donors, Tzu Chi Bohol were able to share warm love and support to the frontliners.
We salute everyone on this fight against COVID-19 and let us all pray for the betterment of the world.