DOH-8 execs to ask mayor to accept COVID-19 patients in Ormoc hospitals

TACLOBAN CITY –– Officials of the Department of Health in Eastern Visayas (DOH-8) will meet and talk with Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez on his move not to accept suspected coronavirus disease or COVID-19 patients in their hospitals.

John Paul Roca, DOH-8 regional information officer, said no hospital should deny any COVID-19 patient or even those who appear to have the ailment.

“While the local government units have the power to initiate their interventions to combat the COVID-19, part of the protocol of the DOH is for all hospitals to accept COVID-19 patients,” he said in an interview.

“We will try to coordinate with Mayor Gomez regarding the protocol,” he added.

Roca said hospitals that would not accept patients, including those who may be suffering from COVID-19, face sanctions, which include the revocation of their license to operate.

“Part of their license to operate is for these hospitals to have isolation rooms,” he said.

Persons showing symptoms of COVID-19 should be brought to isolation rooms to ensure that they do not contaminate other patients.

Gomez earlier said hospitals in Ormoc City, one of which is government-run, should not accept possible COVID-19 patients unless they are in critical condition.

The mayor explained that city officials deemed it proper to let suspected COVID-19 patients recuperate in their homes instead of exposing themselves to people in the hospitals.

Ormoc City has three persons under investigation for COVID-19 and 33 persons under monitoring.

LZB