FEAR HAS pushed residents of Barangay Padre Burgos to block the use of former Sto. Niño Hospital as a Covid-19 facility.
A meeting with residents and stakeholders is set Friday with Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, the Department of Health, city officials and residents to dialog and explain health and safety precautions to be undertaken.
Barangay Padre Burgos chief Bonifacio Bustos in a phone interview with SunStar Baguio said residents are in the midst of a signature campaign to petition a halt in plans to use the former hospital as a Covid–19 containment facility.
Bustos said residents especially those who live nearby have a growing apprehension on the effect of the possible use of the facility on their health as well as security.
The village chief said village officials will be present in the dialog today to represent both the apprehension of the residents as well as the support the moves of the local government unit to quell the spread of Covid-19.
Bustos said security from the police force of the area has to be assured 24/7 as well as proper guidelines by the health department to prevent the spread of the virus to the immediate neighborhood if Covid-19 positive patients are admitted to the facility.
The former hospital, according to Bustos is a private facility and if owners have decided to have the city use the area coupled with emergency powers the government invoke at these times of crisis, there is little the barangay or the residents can do to stop the plan.
On Wednesday, Magalong said owners of the former hospital have agreed to open the facility for the use of the city.
The facility is now being sanitized and cleaned to be able to be of use as a containment facility or a diagnostic center for Covid-19.
The city plans to use the building in a bid to declog the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center and present situation of Lindi Hotel now utilized as a containment facility for Covid-19 cases.