The Lung Center of the Philippines is appealing for an immediate donation of personal protective equipment suits and isolation gowns for its health workers as its current stock are not sufficient for Monday.

Dr. Antonio Ramos, the head of the hospital’s administrative services, shared that there are only 98 suits left and lamented that the hospital “will have nothing” by the end of the day if there will be no donations.

He shared with ABS-CBN News that Lung Center uses around 80 to 100 suits a day since it handles 40 patients daily.

The government-run hospital also plans to expand its services after it was assigned to be among the country’s hospitals dedicated to treating COVID-19 patients.

“Kahit initially 1,000 (PPE suits) lang kasi alam namin may iba pang ospital na nangangailangan,” Ramos added.

He specified that their doctors can fit in medium and large PPE suits.

Ramos also explained that the distributors who were authorized by the government to sell PPE suits have also run out of stock.

Donors can drop off the requested suits at the donation desk located at the entrance of the hospital in Quezon City.

They can also contact Ramos through his mobile number 0917-582-4847.

Appeal for protective suits

PPE suits refer to full-body suits that are used by health workers if they need to treat patients with infectious diseases. It reduces their potential of being exposed to bacteria and viruses in the hospital.

Only portions of the face, feet and hands are exposed.

The suit consists of gloves, eye protection like face shield and goggles and clothing like a gown, apron, a head covering and shoe covers.

An isolation gown, meanwhile, provides coverage protection to health workers. It is a fluid-resistant, full-length suit with elastic cuffs and a waist tie.

Last week, a hospital worker from St. Jude Hospital in Los Baños also asked the Department of Health to donate PPE suits for its personnel while some of them resorted to wearing improvised suits.

Online user Tes Depano shared photos of these on Facebook.

We are calling the attention of DOH or kung sino mang ahensya na maaaring makapag-supply sa amin ng Personal Protective… Posted by Tes Depano on Thursday, March 19, 2020

“Naubos na po kasi ang PPE namin sa kaming hospital at wala na (kaming) mabilihan,” she wrote.

The health workers used black trash bags and plastic bags to cover themselves.

Health workers and medical professionals are among the most at risk of acquiring COVID-19 since they are in the frontlines of the current battle against the viral disease.

Over the weekend, at least three doctors lost their lives due to COVID-19. Philippine Heart Association said that one of them passed away “while fulfilling his duties as a doctor.”