4 more Fabella hospital health workers get COVID-19

Four more health care workers from Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila tested positive for COVID-19, its medical center chief Dr. Esmeraldo Ilem said on Monday.

Two-hundred and seventy health workers of the hospital that accommodates pregnant women and newborns have been tested by the Red Cross on October 23 after seven of its resident doctors got infected, Ilem told GMA News Online in a phone interview.

Four out of this 270 have turned out to be positive for the virus—an anesthesiologist, a pediatrician, an OB consultant, and a medical records personnel.

Ninety more health workers of the hospital got swabbed earlier in the day and their results are expected to be released on Tuesday.

"Depende na naman kung ilan ang lalabas na positive, doon pa lang kami magpa-plano kung kami'y magrereopen na," Ilem said.

On Friday, the Fabella hospital announced that it will close its OB emergency room, pediatric emergency room, and out-patient department from October 24 to 27 for disinfection after some of its health workers got infected with COVID-19.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/metro/761127/fabella-hospital-closes-4-units-from-october-24-to-27-for-disinfection/story/

On the other hand, 62 mothers who are admitted in the hospital underwent the COVID-19 test too on Monday and results are expected to be released the following day.

Samples from 47 of the patients were submitted to the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital in Pampanga while those from 15 others were submitted to the University of the Philippines, according to Ilem.

"Nag-usap muna kami na hindi isama ang baby. Only those kung may symptom ang baby. Dati-rati, lahat ng test namin kasama ang baby kaso napaka-low ng aming positivity rate. For the entire seven months na ginagawa naming mother and baby, apat pa lang ang na-identify naming baby na may positive," he said.

"Ngayon dahil sa kakulangan ngayon ng test, nag-decide kami na kung wala namang symptom 'yung baby, huwag na munang i-include yung baby for the time being," he added.

The medical center chief said the cost of the patients' COVID-19 testing will be charged to PhilHealth.

Ilem also advised walk-in patients to consider going to other hospitals first.

"Karamihan naman ng pasyente namin dito, mga 70%, talagang mga walk-in. Hindi rin sa amin nagpapa-checkup. Kung sa amin ang check-up talagang nirerefer namin, kino-coordinate namin sa ibang ospital," he said.

"Sa mga nagbabalak pa lang pumunta at wala namang checkup sa amin, lalong lalo na marami sa naman kanila [galing sa] malalayong lugar, doon na muna sa mas malapit sa kanila sila pumunta," he added.

Ilem said the hospital will release an announcement on Tuesday whether they will reopen the units that they have closed from October 24 to 27.

"May basehan kasi tayo doon sa prevalence [ng COVID-19 infection]. Kung less than 10% ang prevalence, we can reopen. Pero kung masyadong marami, depende sa area," he said. -NB, GMA News