Valladolid Mayor Enrique “Bebot” Miravalles, president of the League of Municipalities in Negros Occidental, visited yesterday (Nov. 5) the hospital watchers, who camped out under canopy tents across the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City.
Miravalles, accompanied by Mayors Richard Jaojoco and Marxlen de la Cruz of Toboso and Salvador Benedicto, respectively, led in the distribution of identification cards to watchers, who are not allowed entry to CLMMRH to attend to their patients with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
They came from different towns and cities of the province.
Exposed to extreme weather conditions since they are made to wait outside the hospital premises, the watchers are thankful that Barangay 18 had provided them tents where they sleep at night or seen refuge during heavy rain.
Others had called on their mayors to come to their aid, and Jaojoco was among the first local chief executive to respond.
He initially rented a half-way house where watchers can stay when not on duty, an idea that later earned the support of LMP leadership.
At least 17 mayors are in support of the LMP initiative, including the Association of City Executives, to rent a half-way house that can accommodate between 60 to 70 watchers at one time.
