BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – The city will soon have its COVID centers for PUI and PUMs for quarantine, as well as an outpatient facility for those with respiratory problems.
City Administrator Em Ang, in a press conference with Bacolod media, said her office had been coordinating with the City Engineer’s Office in scouting for areas, locations, and buildings that could serve as quarantine areas for PUMs and PUIs.
The center for PUIs, she said, would be a repurposed South Hills Academy owned by Ramon Lacson, Jr.
The building, located in Alijis, has 17 rooms, each with its own toilet, making it ideal as quarantine area for PUMs. It will be operational at the very least in three days or at most “within the week”.
Dr. Hector Gayares, who is part of the COVID-19 Quarantine Center Technical Working Group, said the pilot center will not accommodate all PUMS – as of this writing now at 1294 – but will instead cater to those with special needs, like PUMs with an elderly at home, or those whose homes are too congested.
On top of this, Ang said, there is a proposal to use seven DepEd schools in each school district as centers for PUMs.
Her office and the CEO identified the building beside Bacolod Queen of Mercy Hospital (formerly Our Lady of Mercy Specialty Hospital) as center for PUIs.
“As of now there are 38 isolations rooms for PUIs distributed in different hospitals here. This could not accommodate everybody because of the overwhelming demand that hospitals are facing,” she said.
The city administrator also revealed that the city is also preparing the establishment of a respiratory facility for outpatients with respiratory conditions.
This respiratory facility this time will be at the BAYS Center and will accommodate consultations only. This one will be operational within the week.
