Former Sto. Niño Hospital to re-open as COVID treatment facility
The owners of the former Sto. Niño Hospital, located along P. Burgos Street, has agreed to re-open the space in order to serve as a treatment facility for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) patients.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Dr. Willy Occidental, and City Administrator Bonifacio Dela Peña met with the owners of the medical institution, which ceased operations in 2009.
The city is planning to use the former hospital as an exclusive critical care unit for COVID-19 patients. This is to make Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) and other medical facilities free from the risk of contamination and to separate COVID-19 patients from those who are not infected with the disease.
According to Dela Peña, Barangay Captain Bonifacio Bustos and other barangay officials helped them gain the community’s approval to push through with the plan.
Preparations for the new COVID-19 Facility
As doctors and experts on infectious diseases reassure the community that the facility will be contained and protected, preparations to make the facility ready for operation started yesterday.
A site visit will also be conducted which will be led by the St. Louis University Hospital of the Sacred Heart group under Dr. Paul Adlai B. Quitiquit.
SITE VISIT ASSESSMENT
- capacity to cater to deliveries, dialysis, intensive care unit and operating room
- facility needs including equipment, manpower, and supplies
- to come from various hospitals, the city government and the Department of Heath (DOH)
CLEAN-UP
The city government led in cleaning the facility together with the city’s police trainees and employees of the City Building and Architecture Office (CBAO), City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO), City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) and the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO).
Baguio City continues to receive support from Private Sector
The city is continuously receiving support from the private sector as several businesses reach out to help fight the COVID-19 crisis.
Previously, three accommodation facilities specifically Lind Hotel, Starwood Hotel, and 3BU Hostel, have expressed support by offering the use of their facilities in these trying times.
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