Basilan General Hospital tapped as COVID-19 center for province

The Basilan General Hospital (BGH) has been designated as the provincial center for coronavirus disease 2019 after the Basilan Inter-agency Task Force (BIATF) COVID-19 convened on Monday.

The BGH has initially allocated 15 beds for possible COVID-19 patients.

"Together, we shall plan out for the worst case scenario if the virus will not be contained and shall think of a unified solution to defeat COVID-19," provincial health officer Dr. Harrybert Hadjala said in a statement.

During the meeting in Isabela City, Hadjala also presented a COVID-19 situation update to the BIATF.

For his part, Western Mindanao Command chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana assured the people of Basilan that soldiers will continue to serve them and ensure their safety amid the COVID-19 threat.

“We will continue to provide a quality service and ensure your security during COVID-19 with our concerted effort among concerned agencies,” he said. “I'm very hopeful and optimistic [despite] these challenges in our life, with the right attitude and discipline.”

COVID-19 has so far claimed 78 lives and infected a total of 1,546 people nationwide as of Monday afternoon. -Julia Mari Ornedo/NB, GMA News