The city government inaugurated Monday a PHP4.3-million Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facility (TTMF) here for locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

“It is the first-ever facility in Region 12 funded solely by the local government unit (LGU) through its local risk reduction management fund,” Mayor Joseph Evangelista told reporters.

Evangelista said the facility will cater to mild Covid-19 patients from the city, adding the quake-damaged Kidapawan City Hospital (KCH) now serves as TTMF with funding costs focused on building rehabilitation and retrofitting.

Evangelista led the ribbon-cutting ceremony at KCH with Dr. Hamir Hechanova, the chief of hospital, and Dr. Jocelyn Encienzo, the city health officer. Before this, Catholic priest Fr. Desiderio Balatero, DCK, officiated the blessing of the facility. The new KCH set-up can accommodate a total of 36 mild Covid-19 patients, Evangelista said.

In October last year, the LGU-operated KCH was partially damaged by the series of tremors that hit the city and the rest of the province, forcing health workers to vacate the building and set up temporary tents donated by the Philippine Red Cross to cater to its patients in the hospital grounds.

Meanwhile, the mayor also divulged plans to also open an LGU-run Covid-19 testing facility by forging partnerships with interested private entities here.

“This crisis may take longer, so we must be ready to counter and win against this pandemic,” he said.

Blood center equipment

This developed as the mayor said also lauded the City Council for approving the PHP5-million supplemental budget for the procurement of essential equipment for the city blood center.

Also on Monday, the mayor led the inauguration of the newly acquired refrigerated centrifuge used for the separation of blood components such as platelets and RBC needed for dengue patients.

Early on, Evangelista appealed to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for the immediate passage of a supplemental budget for the replacement of its damaged refrigerated centrifuge at the blood center.

“This development gives relief to families and patients who literally need the service”, Evangelista said. The particular facility, situated at the city health complex, is the sole LGU-run blood center in the region. (PNA)