Facilities to boost the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic worth P52 million were inaugurated in the cities of Bacolod and Silay in Negros Occidental today, October 30.
Inaugurated were quarantine and isolation facilities in Barangay Alijis and a 32-bed dormitory at then Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in Bacolod City, and another 32-bed dormitory at the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Silay City, Regional Director Lea Delfinado of the Department of Public Works and Highways, said.
Secretary Vince Dizon, National Policy Against Covid-19 deputy chief implementer, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Lacson, Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), Rep. Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod partylist), and Mayor Evelio Leonardia joined the inauguration rites.
The two facilities in Barangay Alijis worth P25 million will provide temporary shelter for isolation and treatment of COVID-19 patients, she said.
She said with the COVID-19 cases, this newly constructed quarantine facility with 32 beds will help augment the healthcare capacity of Bacolod.
These isolation facilities are fully-equipped and follow the standard design prepared by the DPWH Task Force to Facilitate Augmentation of Local and National Health Facilities to ensure the safety and comfort of beneficiaries, Delfinado said.
They have air-conditioned rooms with individual comfort rooms, sleeping quarters for the medical staff, a nurses’ station, utility room, and sanitation area.
There are also water tanks and a 100 KVA standby generator in case of water and power shortage, she added.
The two facilities will also give a big boost to the government’s capability to isolate COVID-19 patients away from their communities, and may also be utilized to accommodate victims of natural calamities, disasters, and other emergency situations, Delfinado said.
The dormitories at the CLMMRH and TLJPH will serve as temporary shelter for medical frontline workers providing care and services to COVID-19 patients, she said.
Each dormitory cost P13.5 million and has 16 rooms to accommodate 32 health-care workers.
Delfinado said each air-conditioned room is equipped with double-deck beds for two persons with a toilet and water heater. The dormitory is made of modular components of fabricated container vans with the middle space intended for the living room and common dining of frontliners. It also has a separate area for laundry and kitchen with necessary appliances, she added.
There are also water tanks and a 100 KVA standby generator in case of water and power shortage, Delfinado said.*