DPWH eyes 4 public buildings, 7 sites as health facilities

MANILA, Philippines — As some private hospitals can no longer accommodate coronavirus patients, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has recommended the conversion of four public buildings as well as seven sites in Metro Manila into health facilities to address the hospital shortage.

Public Works and Highway Secretary Mark Villar said a proposal is in place to convert available spaces at the Philippine International Convention Center, World Trade Center (WTC), Rizal Memorial Coliseum and Philippine Institute of Sports Multipurpose (Philsport) Arena into COVID-19 health facilities.

Villar said the four available public buildings have adequate water supply and electrical lines and can be converted into isolation facilities which can accommodate 2,905 PUIs (persons under investigation) or PUMs (persons under monitoring).

In addition, the agency said open areas at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, WTC, Philsport Arena, Rizal Coliseum, Quezon City Memorial Circle, University of the Philippines-Diliman campus, and Veterans Memorial Medical Center are being eyed as plots where DPWH can install prototype tents.

With these available open spaces, the DPWH said an estimated 249 plots inclusive of 747 tents with three tents per plot of 800 square meters can be installed.

These can accommodate up to 7,470 patients, according to the agency.

The conversion of open spaces into isolation areas was agreed upon by the officials of the Department of Health and the DPWH along with technical working group members from different offices of the department.

Aside from the identified public buildings and open areas, Villar said they are now looking into the possibility of converting the old Casino Filipino building near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in Pasay City into another isolation facility.   – With Richmond Mercurio, Robertzon Ramirez

DPWH undersecretary Emil Sadain said 19 out of 110 DPWH-built evacuation centers are now being used as health facilities across the country, while 10 others are being utilized as emergency operation centers.