Last updated on May 6th, 2021 at 06:45 am
President Rodrigo Duterte has asked private hospitals to help stem the spread of the country’s novel coronavirus.
He made an appeal during a meeting in Malacañang with top government officials and health experts.
The President also called on private hospitals to help the government counter the epidemic by treating patients seeking treatment after hearing reports that some private institutions refuse to accept patients with symptoms of the virus.
Duterte also tasked local government units, particularly barangay chairpersons, with working with health officials to report and transport people suspected of being infected with the novel coronavirus.
Health officials were ordered by the President to perform an inventory of vehicles at regional offices of the Department of Health for use in the transportation of infected persons.
He promised to allocate money to the DOH to help it buy new vehicles which will only account for infections with coronavirus.
On Monday night Duterte told reporters there was no need to be hysterical about the nCoV finding its way into the country.
He said one only needed a medical test if he or she is suspected of having the disease.
So far, the Philippines has two confirmed novel coronavirus cases— one of which died over the weekend and became the first fatality outside of China.
