Critical care facility for coronavirus patients to open in Baguio City
It’s all systems go for the revival and conversion of the Sto. Niño Hospital at Barangay P. Burgos here into a critical care facility for coronavirus disease ( Covid- 19) patients.
The Sto. Niño Hospital, with a 36- bed capacity, is targeted to be operational by April 14.
The city government obtained the consent of the owners of Sto. Niño Hospital, which was converted into a school after it ceased operations in 2009, to turn it into a dedicated facility for Covid-19 patients.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Dr. Willy Occidental and City Administrator Bonifacio de la Peña also got the cooperation of barangay (village) officials and residents on the urgency and necessity of using the facility to house patients of the highly contagious disease.
The team preparing the center, led by the St. Louis University Hospital of the Sacred Heart headed by medical director Paul Adlai Quitiquit, had inspected the building and decided that the city needed three weeks to repurpose the building.
“Our preparations on services, equipment, manpower and other logistics are also ongoing. We are currently finalizing our draft proposal to the city for the operation of the new center,” Dr. Quitiquit told Mayor Magalong on March 27.
He will also submit recommendations to facilitate the application for the facility’s license to operate as a specialty hospital with the assistance of the Department of Health.
Magalong assured the city would undertake all measures to secure the area to prevent contamination in the community.
The exclusive critical care unit will enable the city to segregate Covid-19 patients from non-Covid-19 patients and free the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center and other hospitals from contamination risks.
Doctors and experts on infectious diseases had assured that the facility would be protected and contained to avoid danger to the community.
De la Peña said the city would install proper solid and liquid waste disposal, fire prevention, sewer, electrical, plumbing and security systems in the building.
The city is receiving help from private individuals and companies, including Roland Gapuz, Benguet Electric Cooperative Inc., Jerco Hardware, and Davies and Boysen paints for the revival of the hospital.
Meanwhile, owners of four hotels in the city allowed the use of their rooms as containment areas for persons under investigation and/ or as a temporary lodging area for health workers of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center during the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine until April 15, 2020.
The four hotels are Lindi Hotel, 3BU Hostel Baguio, Starwood Hotel and Pagar Apartelle.