Are PH Hospitals Ready for Monkeypox?
PH HOSPITALS – Some hospitals in the Philippines assured their readiness in case monkeypox will enter the country.
Amid the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, countries are being asked to prepare and fight the possible further spread of monkeypox disease. The said disease that is similar to smallpox is endemic in some nations for several years now.
However, what alarmed the World Health Organization (WHO) is that cases in countries where monkeypox is not endemic are increasing. Among the nations that recorded cases of the disease are the United States, Australia, Belgium, Colombia, Canada, Germany, Israel, and Ireland.
The World Health Organization (WHO) committee on monkeypox recently convened for the second time around amid the growing cases of the disease in some countries. The international body declared monkeypox a global health emergency.
In the Philippines, based on a report on ABS-CBN News, some PH hospitals are confident about their preparations in case monkeypox will enter the country. Some hospitals already have a separate form for patients aside from the COVID-19 form upon admission or check-up.
According to Department of Health (DOH) OIC Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire, the health department and PH hospitals have started preparing since March 2022 when cases of monkeypox started increasing in other countries. However, currently, the issue is with regards to the supply of the vaccine against the disease.
Vergeire expressed that the supply of the vaccine against monkeypox is limited thus they are already coordinating with the development partners like the World Health for help or donation of vaccines.
Currently, PH hospitals are confident that there is enough time to make necessary preparations and the situation will not be harder to manage than what was displayed by COVID.
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