Barangays put up own isolation facilities

ZAMBOANGA CITY now has nearly 400 additional beds in different barangay isolation facilities in compliance with the order of the Interior Department for all barangay across the country to put up their own isolation units as the Covid-19 pandemic remains a serious problem and poses grave risk to public health.

Photos released by Barangay Labuan show its own isolation facilities.

Mayor Beng Climaco, chairperson of the local Covid-19 task force, said at least 164 beds from different barangay isolation facilities in District 1 and 225 more from District 2 are now available for use.

 

She said more barangay leaders are also putting up their own isolation facilities, adding, just last week, Barangay Labuan has initially made available a four-bed isolation area for Covid-19 patients with separate toilets and bath rooms for men and women.

 

Labuan’s barangay's disaster response building is also set for completion this year and serves as a permanent isolation facility.

 

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) also ordered all barangay officials to mobilize their Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) to help respond to the pandemic. “Malaking bagay ang pagtatayo ng BIU sapagkat dito natin maaaring ilagak ang mga coronavirus patient na hindi kritikal ang mga sintomas. So that hospitals can concentrate on serious symptoms needing medical interventions,” DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said, referring to the barangay isolation units. 

He said all barangay officials must lead in the enforcement of strict quarantine rules and to ensure that residents follow the quarantine guidelines and health protocols. Barangay officials who do not follow the order will face sanctions, he added. 

Año said barangay officials should also ensure citizens are practicing proper quarantine and social distancing measures, and that immediate health protocols are in place. He said that barangay officials may face charges of gross neglect of duty, gross negligence and insubordination for failing to perform their responsibilities under the state of public health emergency. 

But many barangay officials here have nothing to say, but complain. Some claimed they do not have sufficient funds for BUIs while other barangay officials said they have no available space for isolation facilities and have always relied on the City Government.

 

Climaco said the local government also set up isolation facilities and targets to make available at least 2,000 beds for Covid-19 patients. And this is on top of the isolation facilities built by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The DPWH said it is also ramping up the on-going construction of additional isolation facilities here with construction of an “off-site modular hospital and pop-up dormitory” for health workers, according to Secretary Mark Villar, who added the conversion of the old Zamboanga Convention Center in Pasonanca into Covid-19 facilities will provide additional isolation or quarantine area for treatment of asymptomatic and moderate Covid-19 patients.

The 182-bed facility in Barangay Pasonanca will provide space for hospitals to discharge non-emergency Covid-19 cases and effectively allocate hospital beds for more severe and critical patients. The facility is intended to augment the two quarantine tents with 20 beds also in Pasonanca which was completed in March. Both facilities are managed and operated by the City Health Office and City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) under supervision by the DOH.

The DPWH is also constructing a modular hospital with 22 beds for moderate, severe to critical Covid-9 patients at the Mindanao Central Sanitarium General Hospital (MCSGH) in Barangay Pasobolong and will be operated by the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) with equipment supplied by the DOH; and a dormitory with 16 rooms and double decker beds medical personnel.

Five buildings and a covered court at the Regional Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center also at the MCSGH compound will also be converted into a 300-bed quarantine facility and dormitories with 30 beds for health workers. (Zamboanga Post)