2 PGH wards converted into COVID-19 referral center

MANILA, Philippines — The retrofitting of two wards at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) to be used as a referral center for the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 has been completed.

In a statement, the DM Consunji Inc. (DMCI) said it has turned over to the PGH the facility that would house COVID-19 patients and high-risk persons under investigation or PUIs.

“We thank our workers who rose to the challenge of delivering this project on time and in accordance with social distancing and sanitation protocols. We also commend the management of the University of the Philippines-PGH, architect Dan Lichauco and Bloomberry Foundation for supporting our workers,” Jorge Consunji, DMCI president and chief executive officer, said.

To speed up the construction and control the exposure of its workers, the DMCI prefabricated offsite the partition walls, exhaust frames and stairs needed to isolate the COVID-19 facility from the rest of the hospital. 

A team of DMCI workers handled the installation of the prefabricated materials. 

The DMCI said its workers completed the project in five days in response to the PGH’s tight deadline. 

PGH is one of three hospitals in Metro Manila accredited by the Department of Health as COVID-19 referral center as it is equipped with “negative pressure” rooms that suck in contaminated air, ventilators and separate access points for patients and medical staff, among other facilities. 

The others are Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City and Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium in Caloocan.