PGH ER, admission closed Sunday after fire incident

The Philippine General Hospital (PGH) said its emergency room will be temporarily closed and no admissions will be accommodated on Sunday after a fire occurred before dawn.

"Pakiusap po muna, sarado ang PGH ng pag-admit ng kahit ano... Sarado ang ER ng PGH starting today," the hospital's spokesperson Dr. Jonas del Rosario said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

(We appeal for understanding. PGH will be closed for admission of any case. PGH ER will be closed starting today.)

Del Rosario: Wala pa [sanhi ng sunog]. pic.twitter.com/xAzwfq1SrI

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) May 15, 2021

Fire broke out at the third floor of the hospital's Central Block Building past 12 a.m. and it was put out at 5:41 a.m.

Del Rosario said one of their staff saw smoke coming out of the operating room supply area (ORSA) where linen are kept. Fire was seen going up to the ceiling.

The staff member used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire but was unsuccessful, he said.

Smoke went up to as high as the seventh floor, prompting hospital staff to evacuate patients, Del Rosario said.

More than 500 patients were evacuated, according to a report on News TV Live. Of this number, 156 were COVID-19 patients.

"'Yung iba, nasa chapel, sa driveway, sa quadrangle, sa corridor. 'Yung mga sanggol, bagong panganak, kailangan nasa nursery, inilipat namin yung 12 na babies sa Sta. Ana Hospital," he added.

(Some [patients] were brought to the chapel, the driveway, quadrangle, corridor. The 12 newborn babies who need to be in the nursery were transferred to the Sta. Ana Hospital.)

PANOORIN: Sitwasyon sa Philippine General Hospital matapos sumiklab ang sunog ngayong madaling araw; sunog under control na as of 2:46 AM ayon sa Manila Fire Department | @olanbola @gmanews @gmanewsbreaking pic.twitter.com/OKPFNHFWXp

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) May 15, 2021

"May ilan ding pediatric patients na inilipat sa ibang private hospitals," Del Rosario said.

(Some pediatric patients were also transferred to private hospitals.)

COVID-19 pay patients were also evacuated. Those who were in the intensive care unit were temporarily brought to the charity ward, while the others were brought to the emergency room near the OB department, he said.

"Na-secure sila at we made sure na hindi mahalo sa non-COVID patients," Del Rosario said.

(They were secured and we made sure they were not brought near non-COVID patients.)

Those admitted in the pay hospital were temporarily brought to the emergency room, thus the ER is closed for the day, he added.

Some patients, however, were already brought back to their rooms.

Del Rosario said the operating rooms of the hospital were spared from the fire.

However, firemen have yet to identify the cause of the fire as of posting time. —KG, GMA News