THE DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is looking to build temporary dormitories for healthcare workers initially from major hospitals along East Avenue and Quezon Avenue in Quezon City.
DPWH Undersecretary Emil Sadain, head of the agency's Task Force for Augmentation of Health Facilities, said they are still waiting for the approval of the Department of Health and the Quezon City government before they can proceed with the plan.
“We are waiting for their go signal. We will start the construction in June,” Sadain said in an interview over Viber.
Once approved, each dormitory can house 16 people.
“Our target is to finish a dormitory in two weeks,” he said, adding that purpose-built dormitories made of collapsible components can be fabricated to temporarily house medical doctors and hospital staff.
Sadain identified the Quezon Memorial Circle or the wide ground of Veterans Memorial Medical Center as ideal sites of proposed temporary accommodation house for healthcare workers from East Avenue Medical Center and Philippine Heart Center located at East Avenue; Lung Center of the Philippines and National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon Avenue; and Veterans Memorial Medical Center in North Avenue.
“With available place for accommodation, medical personnel need not travel from hospital to home for a short rest. This is also for the healthcare protection of the family of health workers since they are frequently exposed to patients,” he said in a separate statement.
A part of the plan is to construct four dormitories at the Quezon Memorial Circle.
Based on the design plans prepared by the DPWH Task Force, a one-story dormitory can have 16 rooms with separate toilets by joining together assembled two 40-foot modular containers on both left and right sides with the middle space for common dining and separate space for laundry and kitchen area at the end.
Once no longer needed, Sadain said the temporary dormitories can be disassembled and each of the components can be safely stored by DPWH for other related requirements such as temporary shelter during disaster/calamity response. (By Ferdinand Patinio)
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