Joy Belmonte suggests converting city hospital into coronavirus treatment facility

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte raised on Saturday the strong possibility of converting one of the city’s hospitals into a treatment facility exclusive for coronavirus patients.

Belmonte said the Rosario Maclang Bautista Hospital in Barangay Batasan Hills may be transformed into such a facility, and pointed to the need to do so after reports reached her office that some residents who want to be tested for COVID-19 were rejected by some hospitals that said they were at full capacity or are not equipped to deal with such cases.

They complained that some doctors who feared contracting the disease had advised the patients to have themselves checked in the hospital’s emergency rooms.

Belmonte said the current administration had initiated measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, adding that the city government had rented a hotel that will temporarily house persons under investigation (PUI) with no serious symptoms.

To restrict public movement, Belmonte said local residents wanting to have themselves tested for COVID-19 may contact the city government’s Hotline 122.

As people movement and social distancing are major requirements under the enhanced community quarantine, Belmonte said a medical doctor will answer the hotline and interview the caller regarding his health condition.

After the inquiry, Belmonte said the doctor will decide if the patient needs to go to the hospital or just stay home.

Belmonte also said the city government has distributed food packs to more than 174,000 families in the city’s 116 barangays.

She said the food packs are delivered to the houses to minimize people movement.

Each food pack can feed a family of five for about five to seven days.

Belmonte said the city government will provide these food packages weekly until the end of the enhanced community quarantine.

For those who have not received their food packs, Belmonte requested them to call Hotline 162 to inform those in charge to make the deliveries.

Belmonte reiterated her call to the public to stay home, stressing that only one member of the household may be given the quarantine pass which will allow them to go out and purchase basic necessities.