US military donates ICU beds to Tuguegarao hospital

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 25, 2021): US military donates ICU beds to Tuguegarao hospital (By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora)

AID. US military personnel with Indo-Pacific Command’s Civil-Military Support Element–Philippines delivered ICU beds to the Cagayan Valley Medical Center in Tuguegarao City last week. The hospital is the primary center for severe Covid-19 cases in the area, currently operating at full capacity. (Photo by US Embassy in Manila)

The United States Indo-Pacific Command donated intensive care unit (ICU) beds valued at PHP83,000 to Cagayan Valley Medical Center in Tuguegarao City to support Cagayan in battling the pandemic.

The US Embassy in Manila on Wednesday said the donation was delivered last Aug. 18 by American troops and was part of larger US assistance that would provide ICU beds and essential protective equipment to the Department of Health (DOH).

Cagayan Valley Medical Center is the primary center for severe Covid-19 cases in the area, currently operating at full capacity.

Additional ICU beds and protective equipment, such as disposable gloves, goggles, face shields, disinfectant spray, and other items to support frontline workers, will be delivered in coordination with Philippine partners in the coming months, the Embassy said.

“This generous donation came at a very critical time in our fight against Covid-19,” Cagayan Valley Medical Center chief Dr. Glenn Mathew Baggao said. “The US civil military support element members that helped facilitate this donation worked tirelessly to get us the equipment that we needed to help our patients and help mitigate further spread of Covid-19 in the local area."

The donation came ahead of the two-day Manila trip of US Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. John Aquilino from Aug. 23 to 24, who reaffirmed America's commitment to its alliance with the Philippines.

Since the pandemic started, the US has so far provided at least PHP1.38 billion (approximately USD27.5 million) to support the Philippines’ Covid-19 response.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1151562