Facade of the UP – Philippine General Hospital. Image from the PGH website
The Philippine General Hospital (PGH) has lifted routine swabbing policies for some asymptomatic patient groups. The groups included patients who are undergoing chemotherapy, surgery, laboratory exams at the radiology department and pregnant women in labor. The new rules, which were made public on Friday, are effective immediately, based on the advisory of the PGH’s hospital infection control unit. It will cover the said patients, whether in the pay and service areas of the top public hospital. An exception, however, covers cancer patients under chemotherapy treatment who would need to be screened if the individual is not fully vaccinated or had exhibited symptoms in the last 21 days and had exposure to a confirmed close contact in the last 14 days. The PGH is also looking to “prepare the hospital environment as well as staffing for the possible opening of the [service] wards to have visiting hours” in the next two months, stated the advisory. —KATHLEEN DE VILLA