SOME 275 employees of various government-run hospitals in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental have been infected by coronavirus disease (Covid-19), crippling several services.
At the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in Bacolod City, the largest government-run healthcare institution, 184 workers were infected by the virus as of January 22,2022, and the figures are still rising.
There were 72 other staff members of the CLMMRH under quarantine as they were exposed to Covid-19 patients, a report from the hospital added.
The CLMMRH earliee announced that the Department of Surgery, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Department of Pediatrics will limit its hospital admission to "extreme emergency cases" effective immediately in the light of increasing Covid-19 cases.
Aside from these services, the Orthopedics clinic also suspended its consultation services until Friday last week.
Despite this, Dr. Julius Drilon, medical chief of CLMMRH, assured that the hospital has established protocols to swiftly address the problems and to restore the services of its different medical departments.
Meanwhile, the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Silay City has temporarily suspended their regular services as well due to the rising number of Covid-19 exposures and infection among their medical staff.
Dr. Mary Ann Maestral, chief of clinics of the TLJPH, said 55 of her staff have contracted Covid-19 and 30 others are currently under quarantine.
Among the services that are directly affected by the suspensions are the hospital's out patient department (OPD), and their Covid-19 vaccination center.
Admissions at the hospital have also been limited to extreme emergency cases only, effective Monday morning, January 24, while the management advised all referrals to be coursed through the One Hospital System via respective city or municipal health offices.
"We again remind the public to refrain from unnecessary exposure and to observe minimum health protocols," the advisory added.
Previously, the hospital's Obstetrician-Gynecology Out-Patient Department was also forced to suspend their services after a number of their medical workers either fell ill or have tested positive for Covid-19.
Provincial Administrator lawyer Rayfrando Diaz II also reported that 36 other healthcare workers from other hospitals in the province are also Covid-19 positive and are still under isolation.