The number of medical frontliners assigned to various health facilities being managed by the provincial government of Negros Occidental, who tested positive for COVID-19, increased to 73, as of yesterday, Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force action officer Rayfrando Diaz said.
But there is no shortage of health personnel, Diaz said, adding the province continues to hire nurses.
The 73 infected medical and utility workers are now isolated at the Mambukal Mountain Resort in Murcia.
Based on their investigations, Diaz said health workers were infected in their homes and not on their work places.
The biggest number of infected personnel was in Isabela, with 17 health workers.
The release of swab test results of the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital molecular laboratory in Silay City has slowed down because many of its medical technicians and encoders were also hit by the virus, Diaz added.
He reported that three nurses were deployed to the Silay healing center that now has 200 infected persons.
The Cadiz isolation facility has 140 patients while the EB Magalona healing center has 180 occupants.
The 70-bed annex building of the Cadiz District Hospital, exclusive for COVID-19 patients, is being targeted for use by the second week of October this year.
As to the census on the availability of COVID-19 beds, Diaz said there are still seven beds available at the Valladolid District Hospital, with an 89 percent occupancy rate, the Cadiz District Hospital has 95 percent occupancy rate, and 54 percent occupancy rate for the Valeriano Gatuslao Memorial District Hospital in Himamaylan City.
Hopefully, the operation of the CDH annex building for COVID patients will improve the bed capacity of the province, Diaz said. — GB
