TAGBILARAN CITY –– A hospital here has suspended operations after half of its staff members were exposed to a 5-year-old brother of a COVID-19 patient.
The Tagbilaran Maternity and Children’s Hospital (TMCH) will remain closed to the public until the 5-year-old boy, who was admitted for fever and vomiting, yields negative results for COVID-19.
Delmarvie Chatto, chief nurse of TMCH, said 16 staff members of the hospital, who had close contact with the boy, have been placed under quarantine.
In its public advisory on Tuesday, TMCH said the boy, accompanied by his mother, was admitted to the hospital about 3 a.m. on July 19.
In an interview with a nurse, the boy’s mother claimed they did not have contact with someone suspected to have the virus.
But an hour after, the hospital received a call from the Tagbilaran Health Office which reported that the 5-year-old boy was the younger brother of a 13-year-old COVID-19 patient.
TMCH said the mother did not disclose that they were under home monitoring.
Since TMCH is not a COVID-19 referral hospital, they coordinated with the Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital for the transfer of the patient.
On July 20, TMCH was thoroughly disinfected.
The hospital appealed to the public to be honest and to disclose the correct information.
At present, Bohol has 71 cases of COVID-19 with three deaths.