The Makati City government has received some 10 boxes of traditional Chinese medicine Linhua Qingwen Jiaonang, a modern botanical drug used as standard therapy for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in other Asian countries.

Mayor Abigail Binay on Tuesday accepted the donations coursed through National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., who was tasked by President Rodrigo Duterte to oversee Makati’s Covid-19 situation and crisis management efforts under the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) Resolution No. 62.

“I am very thankful to the donor of the 10 boxes of Lianhua Qingwen which will help in the recovery of the Covid-19 patients or help reduce their symptoms. We are grateful for these donations,” Binay said.

The boxes of Chinese medicine were donated anonymously.

Binay said the medicines will be given to around 1,400 coronavirus patients which “will be distributed under strict medical protocols and not randomly.”

The Makati Health Department will identify the possible recipients of these Chinese medicines.

In several reports, the Chinese embassy said the Linhua Qingwen Jiaonang is used to treat mild to moderate cases of Covid-19 in China.

At the sidelines of the event, Esperon lauded Makati’s crisis management efforts to combat the dreaded Covid-19, saying that the national government could also learn from the city’s best practices on pandemic response.

“The IATF can learn from Makati’s best practices, and these can be passed on to other cities. In turn, we may also make some more recommendations to improve what is already there,” he said.

Binay, meanwhile, said the local government has a strong link with the national government in terms of Covid-19 response.

“We are looking forward to working with the national government for our policies in containing the virus in the city,” she said.

Amid the health crisis, the city government has been conducting targeted mass testing and pooled testing, flu, and pneumonia vaccinations, expanding the online market for residents and providing educational assistance.

It also launched a virtual health services and learning hub project, monitored businesses’ compliance with health protocols, provided cash assistance and job opportunities, as well as maximized its capacity to conduct contact tracing via Stay Safe App (Makatizen App), an all-in-one mobile-based application for Makati residents. (PNA)