Health experts suportado ang pagtaas ng public transportation capacity

By Dona Dominguez-Cargullo September 15, 2020 - 11:43 AM

Isang grupo ng health experts ang nagrekomenda na pataasin ang kapasidad ng public transportation sa bansa sa ilalim ng mahigpit na pagpapatupad ng social distancing upang maiangat ang ekonomiya at makapagtrabaho pa ang maraming Pinoy.

Ang grupo na pinangungunahan nina dating health secretary Dr. Manuel Dayrit at Dr. Vicente Belizario Jr., dean ng University of the Philippines-Manila College of Public Healt ay nagsumite ng rekomendasyon sa Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

Hinikayat nila ang gobyerno na taasan pa ang kapasidad ng public transportation tulad ng tren, bus, dyipni at motorcycle taxi at paluwagin din ang social distancing pero may mahigpit na health protocol.
Idinagdag nila na dapat may konsultasyon sa pribadong medical community kasama na ang pagtatalaga ng Health Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19 (HPAAC) bilang bahagi ng technical working group bago maglabas ng IATF ng anumang bagong panuntunan.

“While the efforts of the IATF, the Department of Health, and the One Hospital Command to address the COVID-19 pandemic have successfully increased and improved current hospital capacity, there is now an urgent need to revitalize our country,” anila.

Dagdag nila na kailangan makabangon ang bansa sa kasalukuyang recession na kumitil sa maraming hanapbuhay upang mabigyan ang milyun-milyong Pinoy ng pagkakataon na makapagtrabaho muli para masuportahan ang kanilang mga pamilya.

Sabi ng mga eksperto na ang ekonomiya ng bansa ay hindi makakabangon nang hindi tataasan ang kapasidad ng public transportation na sa ngayon ay nasa 20 hanggang 30 percent lamang ng kapasidad bago magka-COVID-19 sa bansa.

“We write this statement as an expert panel of doctors with diverse backgrounds, including public health, epidemiology and infectious diseases, all with the intention of seeing our country get back on its feet as safely as possible,” they said.

Nagrekomenda sila ng pitong “commandments” na susundin sa lahat ng public transportation: tamang pagsusuot ng face mask, pagsusuot ng face shield, bawal ang pag-uusap at pagkain, tamang bentilasyon, madalas at mahusay na disinfection, walang isasakay na symptomatic na pasahero at tamang physical distancing.

Anila, isang pag-aaral ng Duke University ay nagpakita na ang surgical mask ay magpapabawaas ng droplet transmission hanggang 90% at ang hindi pagsasalita ay magpapabawas ng droplet count ng hanggang apat na beses.

Dagdag nila na sa China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam at iba pang bansa, ang mga pasahero ay may suot na face mask habang tabi-tabing nakaupo sa mga tren pero mababa pa rin ang COVID-19 cases.
Inirekomenda pa nila ang pagpapababa sa physical distancing sa mga pampublikong transportasyon hanggang 0.5 metro or mas mababa pa rito.

“Based on our review of the scientific literature and the policies and experiences of neighboring countries, we believe the evidence shows physical distancing can be maintained below 1 meter, so long as other health measures are also implemented,” paliwanag ng grupo.

Dagdag nila, “We also encourage a discussion of other groups’ thoughts on health and other matters, including the overall increase of the supply of safe public transportation such as rail, buses, jeepneys, motorcycle taxis, and Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS), and the use of other options such as cycling, walking, and private shuttles. We also recommend the full institutionalization of private sector expert consultation to further improve our overall management of the economy and public health.“

Nagbabala sila na ang pagtagal ng recession sa bansa ay mas masama ang epekto kaysa sa “manageable risks” ng kanilang rekomendasyon.

“We believe that there is a way forward that carefully balances a careful reopening of public transport capacity, with public health, while allowing purposeful flexibility to re-adjust measures based on actual and evolving data from the ground,” wika nila.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TAGS: doh, public transport, doh, public transport

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