BRTTH closes door for non-Covid-19 patients

LEGAZPI CITY --- The Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital (BRTTH) here has temporarily stopped admission of patients whose illnesses are not associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Dr. Rogelio Rivera, BRTTH chief, on Monday, May 4, said this is to give way to a disinfection procedure after six of the hospital’s health workers tested positive for Covid-19 and are now confined at the hospital’s isolation facility.

He said “patients seeking confinement at the BRTTH would be assisted and referred to other hospitals.”

Rivera said a special area in the hospital is now undergoing decontamination and disinfection procedure as some health workers had direct contact or were exposed to Covid-19 patients.

“At least 100 health workers are undergoing 14-day quarantine procedure in a special quarantine facility in the hospital compound,” he said.

The six health workers who were reported to have tested positive for Covid-19 include a doctor, three nurses, and two medical technologists. Rivera said, however, three of them already tested negative in the second round of tests.

The BRTTH currently has 1,300 health and administrative staff.

Meanwhile, Dr. Antonio Ludovice, Albay Provincial Health Office chief, in an nterview said they are offering the facilities of the Josefa Belmonte Memorial District Hospital (JBMDH) in Ligao City and the Ziga Memorial District Hospital (ZMDH) in Tabaco City to patients referred by the BRTTH.

He said “the two district hospitals would help in decongesting the BRTTH with patients wishing to be confined, on condition that the BRTTH would send in additional doctors to assist the existing medical staff”. (PNA)