MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is planning to build temporary dormitories for health workers of some major hospitals in Quezon City.
Undersecretary and head of the DPWH Task Force for Augmentation of Health Facilities Emil Sadain, in his report to DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, identified the Quezon Memorial Circle or the vast grounds of the Veterans Memorial Medical Center as ideal sites of the proposed temporary dormitories.
He said the dormitories will house health workers from East Avenue Medical Center and Philippine Heart Center located in East Avenue; Lung Center of the Philippines and National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon Avenue; and Veterans Memorial Medical Center in North Avenue.
“With available places for accommodation, medical personnel need not to travel from hospital to home for a short rest. This is also for the protection of the family of health workers since they are frequently exposed to patients,” the DPWH said in a press statement on Thursday.
According to Sadain, Dr. Gloanne Adolor, officer-in-charge for management services of the Lung Center of the Philippines, earlier cited the need to build a facility where hospital workers can rest due to lack of space in hospitals.
“Purpose-built dormitories made of collapsible components can be fabricated to temporarily house medical doctors and hospital staff,” the DPWH said.
Based on design plans prepared by the DPWH Task Force, a one-story dormitory will be composed of 16 rooms with separate toilets by joining together two 40-foot modular containers on both left and right side with the middle space for common dining and separate space for laundry and kitchen area at the end portion.
Aside from providing accommodation, the off-site dormitories near hospitals will also improve health workers capacity to adequately monitor the health status of their patients, according to DPWH.
When the dormitories are longer needed, the DPWH said it can be disassembled and the components can be safely stored by the department for other related facilities such as temporary shelters during disaster or calamity response.
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