Pasig children's hospital to serve as local COVID-19 facility —DOH

The Pasig City Children’s Hospital will soon serve as the local COVID-19 center, the Department of Health announced Sunday.

According to the DOH, the PCCH will accept COVID-19 patients in mild to moderate condition, while more severe cases will be admitted to The Medical City (TMC).

“Dapat ang severe cases, sa TMC. ‘Yung moderate [cases] doon sa PCCH. Kaya lang, nakikita naman namin na ‘yung moderate, kung minsan, biglang ang bilis mag-deteriorate,” TMC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Eugenio Jose Ramos said at a virtual press briefing.

“So importante na may abilidad at may paghahanda ang ospital at ang staff na puwedeng maging severe [ang patients] at any time.”

Ramos said they have teamed up with the PCCH to prepare the public hospital, and provide its staff with the necessary equipment and training to respond to COVID-19 cases.

He noted that the PCCH currently has 68 beds, around 12 intensive care units, and over 20 ventilators.

However, the TMC chief said the public hospital is understaffed since they only have 26 medical workers.

The DOH said pediatricians at the PCCH will be transferred to other hospitals for non-COVID cases, while medical doctors from other Pasig hospitals will be designated at the PCCH.

“This week, talagang magtatrabaho na kami… ‘yung [PCCH] team, tuturuan lahat ng mga ginagawa namin para naman by this week handa na kami,” Ramos said.

TMC currently has 12 COVID-19 patients intubated in its emergency department, while the intensive care unit has already extended its capacity to accommodate more cases.

Data from the DOH as of Sunday afternoon show that 129 out of the country’s 3,246 COVID-19 cases are from Pasig.

The respiratory disease has so far claimed 152 lives nationwide, while 64 patients have already recovered. —Julia Mari Ornedo/LBG, GMA News