ANGELES City Mayor Carmelo "Pogi" Lazatin Jr. designated the Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center (RLMMC), also known as Ospital ning Angeles, and the Philippine Rehabilitation Institute as isolation areas of suspected patients for coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Lazatin added he coordinated with representatives of public and private hospitals to designate centers which will accommodate confirmed patients of the disease.
“We do not want the coronavirus to enter our city. As much as possible, we want to contain the virus in a certain area if Covid-19 cases are confirmed. I will make sure that we are one step ahead in dealing with this pandemic,” Lazatin said.
Lazatin said this falls under the prevention and control plans of the City to contain the virus in a certain area.
“I am very thankful for the cooperation and initiative of all the public and private hospitals operating in our city. This is the time for bayanihan and all of them heed to my call,” he added.
Chief Adviser IC Calaguas said the representatives also agreed to come up with a joint research statistics model of persons under monitoring (PUMs) and patients under investigation (PUIs) from their respective research units that will aid the city in contact tracing.
The confinement area for patients found positive of Covid-19 is already installed near RLMMC, upon the instruction of Lazatin, according to Executive Assistant IV Reina Manuel.
Manuel said Lazatin, with Dr. Froilan Canlas, Dr. John Kit already inspected the area. The mayor also made sure that medical staff has adequate protective gear.
“Dahil kung lahat ng suspected PUM o PUI ay pupunta sa hospital, mauubusan tayo ng espasyo sa ospital at ng mga health workers na puwedeng tumulong sa kanila. Sa bawat exposure ng isang health worker ay masusubject narin siya sa quarantine at hindi na magagamit sa panggagamot ng ibang nangangailangan ng immediate health attention,” Lazatin said.
The representatives from RLMMC, Dr. Garcia Medical Center, St. Catherine of Alexandria Foundation and Medical Center, Jongno East Medical Center, Angeles Medical Center, Philippine Rehabilitation Institute Medical Center, Holy Family Medical Center, and Angeles University Foundation Medical Center were present during the meeting.