6 private hospitals to help with patients as Bicol’s largest scale down to disinfect

LEGAZPI CITY—Six private hospitals in Legazpi City and Daraga town are being tapped by the Department of Health in Bicol to provide bed capacity totalling 150 as the region’s largest hospital is undergoing decontamination.

The Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital (BRTTH), the region’s largest, is suspending admissions of non-COVID-19 patients.

Its COVID-19 pandemic advisory team had recommended the move after seven of its health workers were infected by SARS Cov2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

At least 100 BRTTH employees are on quarantine.

The six private hospitals, with a total bed capacity of 150, would accept nonsurgical and non-intensive care patients, BRTTH said.

The six private hospitals are Ago General Hospital (100 bed capacity), Daraga Doctors Hospital (10), University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi Hospital (10), Estevez Memorial Hospital (10) and Albay Doctors Hospital (10).

All hospitals are located in Legazpi City, except for Daraga Doctors Hospital, which is in the neighboring town of Daraga.

Public hospitals Legazpi City Hospital, Ziga Hospital in Tabaco City and Jose B. Duran Albay Provincial Hospital in Ligao City will also accommodate patients.

“The prevailing situation also endangers our patients and their relatives, our health care workers and employees to be infected with COVID-19,” BRTTH said.

“Thus, we deemed it necessary to recommend schemes that will not compromise our services for non-COVID patients, lessen the risk of nosocomial (hospital-acquired) transmission and work fully on screenings, testing, and management of COVID-19 patients,” the hospital added in a statement.

Edited by TSB