The City Government of Davao has opted for home care for COVID-19 patients to cope with the rapidly increasing number of cases in Davao City.
The Department of Health Region 11 (DOH XI) showed the city is nearing the 10,000 mark of active cases with 9,329 cases as of September 24. Davao City still tops the highest COVID-19 cases in Davao Region.
With the surge of active cases, the city government last week allowed the inclusion of a homecare program to augment its COVID-19 response with Davao Doctors Hospital.
The Davao Doctors Hospital, which requested to implement a homecare program, has yet to release its guidelines. But it is said this program is based on the homecare program offered by Manila Doctors Hospital, where there will be telecommunication with a doctor and a nurse who will conduct patient and family education on health management, RT-PCR test, and Covid 19 baseline work-up. Patients are given a COVID-19 kit containing pulse oximeter, thermometer, alcohol and supplements.
365 COVID-19 patients are under home isolation as of Monday September 20, as they await to be transferred to hospitals or treatment facilities, according to City Health Office reports.
Treatment facilities in Davao City have a total of 2,829 beds where 2,350 are specified for isolation. This is still short with the rising number of cases.
Mayor Sara Duterte earlier said they are purchasing 1,000 oxygen tanks worth P23 million to be sourced from their city disaster fund, to augment the rising demand for COVID-19 patients confined in Southern Philippine Medical Center.
Data from the Department of Health website showed that there had been 3,428 recoveries in Davao City in the past nine days, but noted there have been delays from their reports.
