DPWH building more modular hospitals

The Department of Public Works and Highways is constructing additional modular hospitals to accommodate more people infected with COVID-19, DPWH Secretary and isolation czar Mark Villar announced on Wednesday.

Villar said the construction of off-site facilities with 110 beds for moderate, severe and critical COVID-19 cases has started at the Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City.

He said a mega modular hospital with 242 beds exclusive for COVID-19 patients will be constructed at the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) in Mandaluyong, which will be managed by the Department of Health.

The DPWH is also planning to construct three dormitories for medical frontliners at the NCMH.

Villar ordered the DPWH task force for augmentation of local and national health facilities headed by Undersecretary Emil Sadain to fask-track the completion of modular quarantine facilities to increase the capacity of government hospitals in Metro Manila. –