PGH readies isolation area for COVID patients

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine General Hospital (PGH) has converted one of its wards into an isolation area for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and persons under investigation (PUIs) for the virus.

PGH director Gerardo Legaspi said the isolation facility is located at the back portion of the hospital and can accommodate 40 patients.

It is divided into three segments to cater to PUIs, those who have tested positive for COVID-19 and infected patients who need intensive care.

Contingency measures are also in place in case there is a surge in the number of patients. One option is to reduce elective services for cases not requiring immediate attention.

“No one knows how this will progress… but we have contingency plans,” Legaspi said, adding that the PGH can isolate other parts of the hospital if needed.

University of the Philippines president Danilo Concepcion said the PGH, which is under the university administration, has put in place protocols to respond to the possible increase in patients.

These include setting up hospital response to assure readiness and safety of health staff and training of frontliners and paramedical staff to address technical and occupational concerns.

Responding to the appeal of the Commission on Higher Education to be lenient with medical students, Legaspi said students have been transferred to the back services.

“We no longer have interns, students in the frontlines. All trained doctors will be there,” he said.

The PGH director said the declaration of the state of public health emergency would address the reported shortage in medical supply, including masks for personnel.

The Philippine Army (PA) is ready to set up field hospitals as part of its contingency plan in the event of widespread COVID-19 infections.

“If the situation arises, we are prepared to establish or put up field hospitals in various areas of Metro Manila and in other places across the country to serve as places of confinement of COVID-19 patients,” Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, Army chief, said.

COVID in Dumaguete

Meanwhile, the Silliman University Medical Center (SUMC) has placed some of its hospital staff on quarantine after contact with a possible COVID-19 patient.

The SUMC said a patient from ACE Dumaguete Doctors Hospital was transferred to their facility past midnight on Wednesday without “full disclosure and transparency on the condition of the patient.”

The patient had history of travel to Greenhills in San Juan City, Metro Manila, where a case was earlier confirmed.

He is the first confirmed case in the Visayas.

Silliman University has already cancelled its commencement exercises from pre-school to post-graduate level as a precautionary measure.

Quarantine centers

Yesterday, Sen. Nancy Binay said that if COVID-19 cases become prevalent in the provinces, local government units may need to come up with strategies that will help abate the spread of the virus.

Binay suggested that the DOH and local health officials explore the possibility of tapping hospitality establishments as alternative quarantine centers.

“It’s only a matter of time when LGUs will be overwhelmed with many COVID-related concerns. Perhaps they can explore and study the possibility of engaging local hotels and establishments of similar nature and convert them as temporary quarantine centers,” she said.

Binay suggested that provincial governments could follow the lead of Albay where a hotel in Tabaco City was repurposed as quarantine center for cases of COVID-19. – With Jaime Laude, Cecille Suerte Felipe