P5.2B spent so far for modular hospitals, quarantine sites

FILE – This photo shows a room in the 110-bed Off-Site Modular Hospital at the Department of Health-Quezon Institute, Quezon City on April 6, 2021, for COVID-19 patients. Niño Jesus Orbeta/Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has so far spent P5.2 billion on constructing COVID-19 modular hospitals and quarantine facilities, Secretary Mark Villar said Wednesday.

“In terms of the quarantine and modular hospitals, we have spent 5.2 billion for all the facilities nationwide,” he said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.

According to Villar, the DPWH targets over 27,000 bed capacity for isolation facilities by June. At present, the department already has 25,000 beds for this initiative.

The DPWH is also set to open modular hospitals with a total of 300-bed capacity in June, to reach its target of having a total of 500 modular hospital beds by next month.

The department is also constructing a 110-bed modular hospital within the property of the Lung Center of the Philippines. Construction of the facility is seen to be completed next month.

READ: Construction starts on 110-bed COVID-19 hospital at Lung Center

“We are seeing that in terms of the occupancy rate of the quarantine facilities, there is a significant improvement from last month. But nevertheless, we will continue to aggressively build so that we have sufficient buffer in case there is another surge,” said Villar.

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