Isolation facilities congested

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The five isolation facilities being operated by the provincial government of Negros Occidental are almost full, with 561 of the total 605 beds intended for COVID patients occupied, and two operating in overcapacity, as of May 6.

          Incident Management Team head Zeaphard Caelian said the EB Magalona healing facility has 179 patients while it only has 107 beds.

Negros Occidental healing facility in the town of E.B. Magalona. | Screenshot from NegOcc_Gov’t website

But the province managed to look for extra shelter and rooms as well as temporary beds for the additional patients. The EB Magalona healing center is fully equipped and has standby health personnel to attend to patients, he added.

The 110 bed capacity of the Silay isolation facility is already 100 percent occupied, he said.

The 94-bed Cadiz City isolation facility is also in the red, with 84 patients admitted, as of Wednesday.

The Mambukal resort facility is also nearly full since a lot of Capitol employees and their families, who tested positive of the coronavirus disease, are accommodated there for their 14- day required quarantine.

The Silay quarantine facility has 106 patients, but 100 beds are still available since its total capacity is 206 beds.

Caelian said the Silay, EB Magalona, and Cadiz isolation facilities are Yolanda housing units that were not yet distributed to beneficiaries. The province helped in installing power and water facilities in these areas.

The province also provides the food of COVID patients.

The transfer of patients with mild symptoms to the EB Magalona healing center and Silay isolation center will continue as more local transmission cases are reported every day since last week.

But Caelian said more patients will finish their 14-day isolation this week, and he said he hopes that more spaces will be available next week and patients can be attended to comfortably. – MML