BALANGA CITY — The provincial Inter-Agency Task Force on Covid-19 on Thursday midnight announced on that effective Friday morning, the Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) here has been designated as an exclusive facility for cases of the coronavirus disease.
From here on, the government hospital will look after Covid–19 cases only, including those suspected and probable with moderate to severe symptoms.
IATF chair Gov. Albert Garcia said that the decision was arrived at after 29 health workers composed of doctors, nurses and nursing attendants assigned at BGHMC were affected by the virus.
Garcia cited latest report from the provincial health office showing that 14 confirmed new Covid–19 cases were all health workers of the government hospital, turning the number of patients tested positive of Covidfrom 42 Wednesday to 56 Thursday.
“Ang nasabing hakbang na napagkasunduan sa pinakahuling pulong ng task force ay naglalayong agarang masugpo ang mabilis na pagkalat ng Covid–19 sa BGHMC at mapangalagaan ang kapakanan ng mga pasyentee pati ang kanilang mga pamilya,” the governor said.
Garcia said that contact-tracing, swabbing and investigation continued to pinpoint those who have direct contact with the health workers who were tested positive of the virus.
He added that all employees of the BGHMC who showed symptoms were already confined at said hospital while those without symptoms were quarantined at the Bataan People’s Center in Balanga City.
The La Vista Resort also in Balanga was also opened as quarantine facility for health workers negative of the virus and continuously working at BGHMC.
Garcia said BGHMC officials assured that the hospital has still enough manpower with 200 doctors, nurses and other employees who were tested negative of Covid–19 and are still serving the patients.
During the duration of the BGHMC lockdown, non-Covid patients can go to the Centro Medico de Santissimo Rosario, a private hospital in Balanga, or to district hospitals in Dinalupihan, Orani, and Bagac towns, the governor said.
The provincial social welfare and development office will take care of the poor patients, he said.
The provincial health office, Balanga City health office and the district hospitals were assigned to treat patients of dog bites.
“Sa gitna ng nakalulungkot na kaganapang ito, matibay po ang aking paniniwala na sa ating pagkakaisa, pagtalima sa mga alituntunin ng ECQ, pag-uunawaan at pananalig sa ating Panginoon, sama-sama nating mapagtatagumpayan ang labang ito,” Garcia said.
