THE Cadiz City District Hospital has been designated as a quarantine facility for possible monkeypox disease patients in Negros Occidental.
However, Provincial Health Officer Ernell Tumimbang clarified Thursday, August 25, 2022, that not all patients exhibiting symptoms of the monkeypox disease will be brought to the hospital.
“We will set criteria (and we will prioritize) those who have blisters and are comorbid or immunocompromise since they have a higher mortality rate,” Tumimbang said.
He said the isolation areas for monkeypox disease patients should be different from those with coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
They should also be attended by different personnel to avoid cross infections, Tumimbang added.
All referrals to the hospital will come from the One Hospital Command Center, the doctor said. He added that the Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit will be coordinating with its counterpart in the region.
On Tuesday, Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas Director Adriano Sub-an confirmed that a 25-year-old resident of Iloilo province working in Iloilo City is the first monkeypox disease case in the region.
Tumimbang said the close contacts of the patients exhibited no symptoms of the disease.
As this developed, the Provincial Health Office met with the health authorities from different local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, so they could come up with an agreement for a common advisory to be released against monkeypox.
Tumimbang noted that they will also identify common areas for monitoring, make manifestations with the DOH for possible training of the local health workers and will seek advice from infectious disease specialists.
He said that various ports of entry, especially the Bredco Port in Bacolod City and Bacolod-Silay Airport in Silay City, are being closely monitored as well.
Tumimbang added that they will follow the guidelines from the DOH but will make it tailored-made for Negros Occidental.
Both Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said that they are not bent on closing borders even if there is already a confirmed monkeypox case in the region.