THE Metro Pacific Hospitals Group on Monday, March 30, said it has designated the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Manila as its main referral facility for possible and confirmed coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases.
The group also aims to double to more than 600 beds the capacity of the 15 other hospitals to handle Covid-19 cases, parent firm Metro Pacific Investment Corporation (MPIC) said in a statement Monday.
Should the number of cases rise, the Hospitals Group has been mandated to plan for supplemental tents, with beds and requisite equipment, for non-critical cases in selected hospital grounds as an extraordinary measure.
MPIC chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said the 15 other hospitals in the group have been tasked to review their respective spaces, personnel complement and technical resources.
A crisis team that will ensure coordination among the 16 hospitals has been created. It is headed by Pilar Nenuca Almira, who currently heads both the Cardinal Santos Medical Center and the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.
The Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital is a 230-bed facility in Santa Mesa, Manila.
Its designation as main referral facility for Covid-19 cases within the Metro Pacific Hospitals Group is in line with government efforts to stop the spread of the disease.
“The country’s health care system faces unprecedented challenges because of the ongoing pandemic, caused by a virus that is unfamiliar, and seems easily transmitted. Our Hospitals Group are focusing their resources on critical concerns – particularly hospital care for the most critically-ill patients infected by Covid-19,” Pangilinan said in the statement.
“At the same time, we aim to provide every assistance possible to our doctors, nurses and health care personnel to protect their well-being and safety as they courageously pursue their enormously difficult task of caring for patients. We owe them an inestimable debt of gratitude – these gallant frontliners who altogether reflect our people’s compassion and caring,’ he added.
Pangilinan said the MPIC Group, together with its foundations, and other companies under the MVP Group are also scaling up assistance to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), the Philippine Genome Center, and the Lung Center of the Philippines.
This includes sharing vital supplies such as virus specimen collection kits, transportation services, water supply, alcohol, face masks, disinfectants and PPEs and communications support like hotlines, mobile phones, WiFi and other digital solutions.
“We are on the verge of an unprecedented national health emergency. Our Hospitals Group has been unselfish in doing its part. We would like to express our gratitude to the Sisters of the Holy Spirit in allowing the use of their Lourdes Hospital for this purpose,” said Augusto Palisoc Jr., president and CEO of the Metro Pacific Hospitals. (MVI/SunStar Philippines)