Some areas of the Davao de Oro Provincial Hospital in Montevista (DdOPH) were declared off-limits after parts of it were damaged by the magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck Davao de Oro on February 2, 2023.
Closing off areas has reduced the hospital's capacity to accept patients.
“Nagkaroon kami ng (We have a) decreasing capacity from the maximum capacity of 250 to 260 [patients], our maximum capacity now is limited to 150 patients at max kung mag-extend pa kami (we can extend to) maximum is at least 160 patients,” Dr. Ferdinand Anthony Soberano of the DdOPH said during the virtual press conference on February 3, 2023.
Soberano said they have also installed a temporary dietary base so that the hospital staff will be able to cook and prepare food as they can no longer enter the kitchen.
He added that with the current condition of their hospital, they can only cater to emergency cases. The consultation will also be done through teleconsultation as the outpatient department (OPD) was being utilized as a ward.
Allen Baco, a representative from the Davao de Oro Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the government is currently looking for spaces where they can accommodate additional patients if the hospital exceeds its capacity.
Meanwhile, during the quake, he said that among the over 600 people evacuated from the hospital during the quake, 247 were patients, and some were watchers and staff of the hospital.
“Sa 247 na patients, may umuwi na 44 na discharged na, may 56 nag-uwi against medical advice but may na-refer na 19 patients, 18 to DRMC (Davao Regional Medical Center) and one to DdOPH - Pantukan (there are 247 patients, 44 of them went home since they were discharged, but 56 of them went home against medical advice. Then 19 were referred to DRMC and DdOPH Pantukan),” Soberano said.
He added that they are currently monitoring the patients who went home without medical advice as they forgot to get their prescriptions.
“Kung pwede bumalik sila sa hospital para sa prescription and they really require medical care please go back to the hospital, it is safe (Please return to the hospital to get your prescription and some of them still require medical care),” Soberano said.
Meanwhile, PDRRMO - Davao de Oro said the Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis Team (RDANA) reported a foundation movement in the pay ward and ramp area of the hospital.
“Naa gyud dagko nga mga damage, maong dili gyud ni pabalikan og pasyente didto nga areas (There’s a major damage and we advised them not to put patients in those areas),” Baco said.
He said the RDANA will investigate to reveal the cause of the excessive movement of the building.
“As of the moment the structure is off limits until investigation is done,” he said.
He added that aside from the two major damaged areas, the molecular laboratory of the hospital has incurred minor cracks in the wall but can be repaired.
“The structure has water leakage, the structure is safe so it is fully occupied,” Baco said.
PDRRMO and the DdOPH Montervista are still finalizing the damage report and determining the total damage cost of the infrastructure. KSD