THE President's yacht, Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas (BRP) Ang Pangulo, has been converted into a floating hospital for suspected coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patients.
Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) chief of clinics and Health Emergency Management Bureau (HEMB) coordinator Dr. Ricardo Audan told SunStar Davao that on Friday, he assisted in the inspection of the yacht along with other SPMC personnel.
Audan said Dr. Yvette Barez, head of the Infectious unit of SPMC instructed SPMC personnel, Karrel Jones Catalino, Mark Angelo Andrada, Dave Martin Gepitulan, and Jose Colin Yee, to conduct training on how to run the facility.
More than 20 personnel of BRP Ang Pangulo were trained on donning and removing personal protective equipment (PPE), lectured on the do’s and don'ts, and checked the facilities.
Audan said SPMC also assisted in crafting their process flow in catering to clients.
Audan added that on Monday, the yacht will start sailing going to Manila where it will cater to suspected Covid-19 patients.
The floating facility was supposed to be used for Covid-19 positive patient but they recommended it to be utilized for suspected cases only since confirmed cases will require a hospital setting.
According to Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM), BRP Ang Pangulo can accommodate up to 28 maximum patients aboard the ship with five medical staff. It is currently docked at Sasa Wharf, Sasa, Davao City.
President Rodrigo Duterte raised the idea of transforming the President' Yacht into a quarantine facility to assist in housing Covid-19 patients.
Ang Pangulo is an operationally controlled unit of the Presidential Security Group (PSG).
Earlier, the Philippine Navy (PN) initiated the remodeling of the ship following Duterte's pronouncement.
PN said the officers and enlisted personnel aboard ACS-25 spearheaded the transformation of the VIP compartments of the ship into Covid-19 dedicated medical ward and patient rooms that can accommodate a total of 28 patients with five medical personnel.
There are three exclusive compartments prepared by PN personnel for the patients with temporary division in place observing the 3-meter distance between them.
The patients and the medical staff are given different access points.
“The crew will remain on board while the ship is being utilized as a quarantine facility.
They were already provided with PPEs while rapid antibody tests were conducted. All entry points from the crews billeting area and other compartments from the temporary medical facility and patient rooms were already sealed off,” the PN said.