Carmen Copper donates ventilators, nasal cannulas for Cebu hospitals

TURNOVER. Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia (second from left), together with Deputy Speaker Pablo John Garcia (leftmost), receive the six units of high flow nasal cannulas and four ventilators donated by Carmen Copper Corp. through its president and CEO Roy Deveraturda (second from right). Joining them in the ceremonial turnover is Jay Yuvallos (rightmost). (Contributed photo)

Amid the rising number of Covid-19 cases, 10 public hospitals in Cebu Province will receive ventilators and high-flow nasal cannulas from Carmen Copper Corporation, a mining company based in Toledo City, Cebu.

Carmen Copper president and CEO Roy Deveraturda turned over on Monday, August 16, the medical equipment worth P4.47 million to Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and her younger brother, Deputy Speaker Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, Third District).

“This is a lot of help. We need these (medical equipment),” the governor said.

The demand for oxygen in the province has increased following the surge of Covid-19 cases.

According to the governor, the medical equipment from Carmen Copper will augment the services provided by medical frontliners of beneficiary hospitals exerting all their efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The four Mindray SV300 ventilators will be distributed to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Cebu City Medical Center, Talisay City District Hospital and the Cebu Provincial Hospital in the Municipality of Balamban, respectively.

The six units of Respircare Hifent HUMID-BM-high flow nasal devices, on the other hand, will be turned over to the Toledo City General Hospital, Vicente Mendiola Center for Health-Infirmary (City of Naga), Barili District Hospital, and the Provincial Hospitals in the cities of Bogo, Carcar and Danao.

Ventilators are machines that act as bellows to move air in and out of the lungs. A patient may be put on a mechanical ventilator if a condition makes it very difficult to breathe or get enough oxygen in the blood.

Meanwhile, a high-flow nasal cannula is used to deliver oxygen with flow rates much higher than can be achieved with traditional nasal cannulas. This means a greater delivery of prescribed oxygen into the lungs and less entrainment of room air.

Deveraturda, for his part, said extending support is one of Carmen Copper’s social responses to the ongoing pandemic.

“We would really like to help our governor. We admire her leadership and determination to help our people in Cebu. This is our small contribution to at least alleviate whatever problems we are having because of the pandemic and hopefully, we end this pandemic soon,” he added.

In his official Facebook page, Representative Garcia thanked Carmen Copper for donating the medical equipment, which he described as an added boost of morale and source of strength in these trying times.

“These medical equipment are a huge help to our provincial hospitals that are doing their best despite all the challenges to serve our constituents in the province,” he added in Cebuano.

Carmen Copper seals its commitment towards sustainable development through the establishment of Carmen Copper Communities, the Social Development and Management Program (SDMP) of the company.

Through its SDMP, Carmen Copper promotes wellness in the community by improving public health and building resilience.

To date, Carmen Copper has built and rehabilitated six health centers serving a total of 335,599 patients. A total of 21 ambulances were also donated to date.

Meanwhile, through its Doctor to the Barangay Program, some 22,366 patients were served by the Company’s volunteer nurses and doctors for free since 2015.

Around 488,100 children were also served in its School-based Feeding Program over the past five years. (PR)

Source: Sun Star