Only high-risk PUIs to be admitted to PGH – director

MANILA, Philippines — As a referral hospital for 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients, the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) will only be admitting high-risk persons under investigations (PUIs) who exhibit mild symptoms and moderate to critical PUIs.

The policy was made for the meantime as testing for COVID-19 is not readily available, PGH Director Gerardo Legaspi said Monday.

He said this as he announced that PGH is one of three facilities in Metro Manila that were designated as referral centers to cater only to COVID-19 patients.

READ: PGH, 2 other institutions chosen as COVID-19 referral hospitals

“Admission to the referral center will initially be limited to mild PUIs who are at high risk for deterioration (above 60 years of age and/or with comorbidities) and moderate to critical PUIs,” Legaspi said in a statement.

“Eventually, when testing for COVID-19 has been made readily available, only confirmed COVID-19 patients will be sent to referral centers,” he added.

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The designation of the three referral centers was made after at least 11 private hospitals appealed for such from the government for them to be able to attend to their other patients.

READ: Alliance of hospitals appeals for a unified approach to the COVID-19 pandemic

Legaspi said that the PGH and other referral centers have requested for a week to complete the establishment of an “efficient and effective” flow of management “to ensure the safety of both patients and its healthcare workers.”