The new isolation facility at Subic Gym. Photo by Johnny R. Reblando
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Two care and isolation facilities being prepared by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority for use in case of a surge in new coronavirus disease cases will be ready here by next week.
SBMA chair and administrator Wilma T. Eisma said on Wednesday that the two facilities—the former Leciel Hotel and the Subic gymnasium here—will be properly fitted this weekend with equipment and supplies provided by corporate and individual donors.
“We now have two facilities ready in case of a surge in Covid-19 patients, and I thank the companies and individuals in Subic for their support of this SBMA initiative and their concern for the welfare of the community in general,” Eisma said.
“The SBMA provided the two locations and some basic equipment, and now various companies and stakeholder groups are pitching in with personal protection equipment, supplies, even food and transport services so that our frontliners can do their job,” she added.
Eisma on Wednesday received from PMFTC Inc. a total of 50 collapsible hospital beds, which are the latest of the major donations received by the SBMA. These will be installed at the converted Subic gym.
Eisma also said that the SBMA management is requesting the agency’s Board of Directors to approve the hiring of 34 medical personnel on a project contract basis, “so that we can fully utilize these two care and isolation facilities.”
The Subic gym, which now houses 32 isolation tents, as well as work and rest quarters for medical care personnel, was inspected also on Wednesday by medical personnel from Baypointe Hospital and Medical Center, where most local Covid-19 cases are admitted.
Dr. Erlinda Alconga, an expert in tropical and infectious diseases who runs the Coviod-19 unit at Baypointe, said the Leciel Hotel facility, which is just two blocks away from the hospital, would be an ideal place to house additional Covid-19 patients coming in from nearby areas.
“In case of a surge in the number of patients received at Baypointe, all positive patients will be moved to the Subic gym while the Leciel facility would be used to monitor cases of persons under investigation,” she said.
Eisma also told Alconga and other Baypointe staff that the SBMA is now arranging living quarters for nursesand other medical staff at the Leciel facility, which will be ready for occupancy this Friday.
The SBMA chief also assured the Baypointe medical team that the SBMA would provide for all the needs of health workers who would be assigned to the two SBMA isolation facilities.
“SBMA will be here with you because the Subic Bay Freeport cannot turn its back and will not turn its back to its neighbors in Zambales and Olongapo and other areas. Laban nating lahat ito,” Eisma said.
Meanwhile, the SBMA acknowledged donors of materials for its care and isolation facilities. These include the International Recreation Corp., National Bookstore, Tong Lung (Phils) Metal Industry, JC Salas Builders and Design Services Inc., DML Subic Freeport Corp., and Polarmarine, Inc.
The SBMA also thanked donors of supplies, equipment and services like Apollo Subic Int’l Trading, Coldwater Creek and Marketing, Datian Subic Shoes, EPEE Corp., Fashion Institute of Subic, GrainPro Philippines Inc., HHIC-Phil Inc. (Mr. Nack Young Kim), Juken Sangyo, Lino Khan Trading, M Bernardino Culinary Institute, Oscar Santos, MSK Group of Companies,Nichol Bento, PacTec Subic Inc., Philippines Easpal,and Royal Duty Free Shops.
Other donors are Sakura Restaurant, SBMA EWMPC,Seafood By The Bay, Skipper Pineda, Subic Auto Trucks & Machinery, Ltd., Subic Bay Freeport Grains Terminal, Subic Bay Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Subic Boardwalk Inc., Subic Line Foods (Chowking Petron),Sweet Finale, Tele Empire Inc., Tong Lung (Phils) Metal Industry, United Auctioneers Inc., Upsilon Sigma Phi, Asian Dragon, Econest Waste Management Corp., Ekxinum Inc., Great Empire Gaming & Amusement Corp., International Freeport Exchange Trader Inc.-Subic, Northfolk Int’l Technology Inc., and the Subic Korean community. – With SBMA Comm Group
