PUBLIC Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar recently announced the completion of more COVID-19 facilities to meet the demands for healthcare utilization.
Villar said that the Quezon Institute (QI) at E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, Quezon City, has the facility to cater the need for isolation and treatment of patients.
“Our DPWH Task Force to Facilitate Augmentation of Local and National Healthcare Facilities constructs modular health facilities at Quezon Institute with two units with a total bed capacity of 44 already turned over to the Department of Health last December 2020”, Sec. Villar said.
A routine inspection at the QI was conducted by Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III accompanied by Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega, and DPWH Undersecretary and Task Force Head Emil K. Sadain to ensure readiness of the completed facilities in anticipation of the post-holiday surge.
Technical working group members of the Task Force, Bureau of Construction Director Aristarco Doroy and Assistant Director Edgardo Garces were also present during the inspection.
The QI is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to be operated by medical personnel of Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center.
In his report to Secretary Villar, Undersecretary Sadain said that two more modular units with 44 beds are expected to be completed and ready for turn-over by February 15, while a fifth unit will undergo some modification works to convert into operating room and intensive care unit as requested by the DOH.
Other than the modular hospitals, the DPWH has built two dormitories with 64 beds to house healthcare workers manning the operations at the institute.
Based on latest report to Sec. Villar by Sadain, of the targeted 720 healthcare facilities nationwide, 538 facilities with 20,300 bed capacities were completed while 182 facilities which account to 6,200 beds are for completion in the next few weeks.
