PNP orders medical personnel to reassess situation due to pandemic

August 4, 2020

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Archie Gamboa ordered the reassessment of its health service and medical reserve force following reports that medical personnel are nearing their breaking point amid the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

“I gave instructions to (Lt.) General (Camilo) Cascolan (PNP Deputy Chief for Administration) to try to re-evaluate also our forces because as you have seen, the President said the PNP will be used so I said let us re-examine the availability of our medical reserve force,” he said.

“We have personnel deployed in the quarantine areas like PICC and Ultra but I said let's reassess, including our Health Service. So far. the infection in the (PNP) Health Service is not too large and of course the only way to prevent it is to see to it that proper PPEs (personal protective equipment) are provided for and so far it’s okay,” he added.

Gamboa said goal of the  reassessment to have a “heart-to-heart talk” with their medical personnel.

“A reassessment is needed so that we could have a heart-to heart-talk with the Health Service… because we are trained to pursue our duties primarily but your thoughts about your self should be secondary and what you should primarily think is the duty. Honestly we in the armed component of the government we are really over-extended because it is expected of the kind of job that we do,” he said.

Gamboa said as part of the re-assessment the medical practitioners will be given orientations depending on their assignments.

“First, we will recall them and then we will forecast on where we will assign them and then the reorientation will depend on the assignment that will be given to them,'' said Gamboa.

Gamboa said there is no specific deployment yet.

Gamboa said it would take a week of reorientation because the health personnel have been policemen since they entered the PNP.

“Some of them have not really practiced their profession. So maybe a week of orientation will do, just to reorient them on their being medical practitioners,” he added.

Gamboa said PNP is expanding its medical capability by continuing recruitment of medical personnel and setting up of a tertiary hospital for their men.

He said the PNP is building a hospital in Camp Panopio, which cost P1.9 billion. “Probably by 2022 or 2023, we will have our own V. Luna in the PNP,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS