Garin urges DOH to identify hospital dedicated to COVID-19 patients

Iloilo Representative Janette Garin on Thursday urged the Department of Health to dedicate a hospital in the country where all patients of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will be brought and treated.

Garin made the remark amid the rising number confirmed cases of COVID-19, especially in Metro Manila.

"It's really time for us to have a dedicated COVID-19 hospital and a dedicated health workforce," said Garin, a former health secretary,  at a media forum in Quezon City.

According to Garin, if there is a dedicated hospital for COVID-19 patients, transmission of the virus to a non-infected person will be minimized.

Patients in that hospital will likewise be treated by medical practitioners who are trained to address cases of COVID-19.

"At the same time, kung ito ang ospital, puro COVID-19 ang pasyente doon, mababa ang resistensya nila lalo na yung seniors, kapag nasa ospital sila na marami ring ibang sakit, you will have a lot of hospital-acquired infections," she said.

This preventive measure is already being practiced in other countries, she pointed out, and the Philippine government could apply the same in the country.

"We don't really need to copy China na talagang nag-construct ng dalawang 10,000-bed hospitals. We have existing hospitals like Lung Center. Yung mga pasyente nila, pakonti-konti nang ilipat sa neighboring hospitals para yung Lung Center will now be the NCR COVID-19 hospital," she said.

A total of 49 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the Philippines as of March 12, the DOH said. —LBG, GMA News