Malabon hospital limits operations after health workers test positive for coronavirus

MANILA, Philippines — The Ospital ng Malabon (OSMAL) will temporarily stop accepting non-COVID-19 cases after four medical workers have tested positive for the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, which causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the city government said Thursday.

Malabon Mayor Antolin Oreta said the hospital will limit its operations to make way for the disinfection of facilities and testing of its health workers.

“Ikinalulungkot kong ibalita sa lahat na apat na health workers mula sa Ospital ng Malabon ay nag-positive sa COVID-19,” Oreta wrote in a Facebook post.

(I regret to inform all of you that four health workers from Ospital ng Malabon tested positive for COVID-19.)

“Pansamantala munang hindi tatanggap ng NON-COVID cases ang ospital upang magbigay daan sa gagawing disinfection, contact tracing, at testing ng ating health workers,” he added.

(The hospital will temporarily stop accepting non-COVID-19 cases to give way for disinfection, contact tracing and testing of health workers.)

But Oreta said OSMAL’s emergency room, laboratory, and radiologic section will remain open for out-patients.

The hospital is expected to resume full operations on May 7, Thursday depending on the results of tests performed on the health workers, Oreta said.

“Kung agad na lalabas ang test results ng ating health workers mula sa DOH (Department of Health), inaasahan natin na magre-resume ang full operation ng OSMAL sa MAY 7, 2020 (Thursday),” the mayor said.

(If we get the results immediately from DOH, we expect that OSMAL will continue its operations on May 7.)

/MUF