Hospital-supervised home isolation for asymptomatic, mild or moderate COVID-19 cases in now allowed in Bacolod City.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia issued Executive Order No. 28 Series of 2021 Wednesday, May 26, establishing the guidelines for supervised homecare that takes effect immediately.
Leonardia, in the EO, said there has been a recent and continuing surge of COVID-19 cases in Bacolod City, and there is want of additional human resources for health, as well as isolation facilities and equipment.
The EO states that only medical institutions may apply for accreditation through the Emergency Operations Center – Task Force (EOC-TF).
The medical institutions must present guidelines and procedures, costs and other necessary details for home-based patient care, including provisions for adequate medical personnel to attend to daily patient monitoring, diagnostic procedures, medication, daily visits or web-based consultation.
A requisite for each accredited institution will include immediate bed availability for home-based patient care in case of disease progression, including patient transport, the EO said.
Each patient admitted under the hospital-supervised home isolation will be managed by or assigned a physician who will monitor patient condition, assess, evaluate and/or discharge patient as appropriate, it added.
Hospitals should also create provisions for the management of infectious waste of patients, the EO said.
Coordination for approval of dwelling for admission/inclusion in the hospital-supervised home isolation program will be made with the Barangay Council exercising jurisdiction over the patient’s address, and the DRRMO, who will endorse approval to the EOC-TF, it added.
The barangay will be responsible for “sealing” of area admitted for hospital-supervised home isolation, the EO said.
Home isolation will only be allowed if patient is enrolled or admitted in the hospital-supervised home isolation program, it said.
If the patient’s dwelling circumstances do not meet the conditions for home isolation, such services may be availed in accredited hotels/pensions/inns, it added.
Costs relative to admission into the hospital-supervised home isolation will be at patient’s own expense, the EO said.
“Hospital-supervised home isolation for patients will help decongest hospital beds and ensure professional medical care and generate income opportunities for medical professionals,” Leonardia said.*