The Provincial Health Office has requested 16 aerosol boxes from the Provincial Government to be distributed to the 10 rural health units (RHUs) and three dental buses in Palawan.
According to Dr. Lilian Tan Arcinas, the supervising dentist in the Provincial Health Office, the aerosol boxes will be used together with standard PPE to protect dental practitioners from the risk of viral transmission. The device is made of acrylic polycarbonate sheet and is placed on the dental chair to contain the patient’s head, neck, and hair to limit the dispersion of particles (like saliva) that may come from the mouth of the patient.
Currently, all RHUs and dental buses are accepting patients in need of urgent care except in Cuyo. Following strict protocols, dental practitioners are providing treatments at limited capacity to avoid the risk of transmission.
The rural health units (RHUs) expecting to receive the aerosol boxes are Aborlan, Narra, Bataraza, Brooke’s Point, Magsaysay, Cuyo, San Vicente, Taytay, Linapacan, and Busuanga.
The budget for this request has already been approved and is awaiting bidding.