MANILA, Philippines — Logistics giant 2GO has partnered with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to deploy “floating hospitals” to accommodate coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients, the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-IED) announced Saturday.
In a press briefing, IATF-IED spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said 2GO will be deploying a hospital ship that will be able to serve 1,500 patients.
Another smaller ship is also being set up, to serve an additional 300 patients, Nograles added.
“This is all on top of the 1,000 that can be served in the terminal alone. Sa port terminal pa lang, isang libo nang pasyente ang mapagsisilbihan,” the Cabinet Secretary said.
“All together it can serve 2,800 people, and it will be operational by next week.”
The Philippine Coast Guard, however, said that while the two hospital ships will be operational by next week, it has yet to be clarified if the vessels will accommodate persons under monitoring (PUMs) or those already undergoing treatment for the disease.
Earlier, Senator Francis Tolentino asked the DOTr to initially provide three passenger vessels, one for Luzon (Manila Port), Visayas (Cebu Port) and Mindanao (Davao Port)— to serve as hospital ships.
In response, DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade that his department was already “exploring the feasibility of commissioning passenger ships, and possibly utilizing available Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels, as ‘floating quarantine hospitals’ which can be deployed and prepositioned in any parts of the country, in case of an uncontrolled outbreak of the virus.”
This comes as the country currently battles the COVID-19 crisis, as cases grew to 3,018, with 136 deaths and 52 recoveries.