THE alternate care site is finally open to accept patients under investigation (PUIs) in Mati City.
Formally named as the Isolation Unit of the Divine Healer, the blessing and turn-over were made Sunday, April 26, with Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat, Vice Mayor Glenda Rabat, Congressman Mayo Almario and IMT Covid-19 head Dr. Ben Hur Catbagan Jr. in attendance.
A Mass was officiated by Mati Bishop Abel Apigo before the ribbon-cutting and blessing of the facility. One building is capable of handling 14 patients at a given time while another building is for triage.
A separate building for the health frontliners that will take care of the PUIs on a 24/7 basis would serve as their quarters.
Rabat said another building will also be rehabilitated to add more isolation rooms in the event of an increase in the number of PUIs in the city.
She said the funding for the rehabilitation of the second PUI building will now come from the national government through the Bayanihan We Heal as One Act.
The local government unit spent about P4 million to P5 million for the rehabilitation of the PUI building including the health workers quarters and the triage. Also provided in the facility are air-condition, beds, wifi, television, health care kits, and other amenities.
In her message, the city mayor thanked the Mati clergy for allowing the city to use their center as an alternative care site.
She said the fight against Covid-19 would most probably last for months or years until such time a vaccine is produced thus they find it appropriate for Mati City to have its own facility. This is to ensure that those possibly infected with the virus would readily be isolated and treated to arrest the spread of the infection.
Dr. Ben Hur Catbagan meanwhile said that in ordinary circumstances, even an ordinary epidemic, surge facilities like the Isolation Unit of the Divine Healer wouldn’t be necessary.
"All hospitals are supposed to have a 20 percent to 40 percent surge capacity within their own walls. But Covid-19 isn’t an ordinary epidemic and free-standing surge facilities are an important, if imperfect, adjunct," said Catbagan.