Gov’t to monitor other hospitals to prevent fires amid dry season —DOH

Government agencies have agreed to monitor hospitals to avoid a repeat of the fire that hit a portion of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH coordinated with the Interior Department and the Bureau of Fire Protection after the PGH, a major COVID-19 referral center, was hit by a blaze early Sunday morning.

“[Magkakaroon] po ng monitoring across our hospitals because we know that fire incidents are highest during the summer season so ngayon po ating pinagtitibay para ma-prevent na po natin ‘yung mga further incidents like this,” she said in a briefing.

(There will be monitoring across our hospitals because we know that fire incidents are highest during the summer season so we are strengthening our efforts to prevent further incidents like this.)

Vergeire also said the DOH accepted eight patients that needed to be transferred out of the PGH due to the fire and provided the hospital with K95 and N95 masks.

PGH Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi said they would resume accepting COVID-19 patients on Tuesday, May 18, after making the necessary adjustments.

He estimated that at least P50 million worth of equipment was damaged by the fire.

Donors may deposit to the PGH's verified accounts or call the hospital hotline at 155-200 for more details.  

Last week, fire hit part of the Pasig City General Hospital. It took five hours to put out the blaze, but there were no casualties. — BM, GMA News