The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Wednesday, turned over to the Department of Health (DOH) additional health- care facilities at the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) in Quezon City that will boost government’s response against Covid-19.
Public Works Secretary and Chief Isolation Czar Mark A. Villar said that LCP would have additional 108 beds to handle the increasing number of patients in need for hospital admission and treatment of Covid severe to critical cases.
“We have completed works on five cluster units, including one unit with 20 beds, particularly as Intensive Care Units [ICU], with oxygen, suction, and vacuum system dedicated for patients who require high levels of medical care and complex treatment,” added Secretary Villar.
Villar, assisted by Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, handed over the symbolic key of five modular hospitals to Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III joined by Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega, Assistant Secretary Elmer Punzalan, and Lung Center Executive Director Vincent M. Balanag Jr.
The ceremonial turnover of the health facility was also attended by Presidential spokesman Harry Roque; Inter-Agency Task for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) Chief Implementer and Vaccine Czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.; Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte; DPWH Directors Eric Ayapana, Aristarco Doroy and Asst. Director Edgardo Garces; and Nationstar Development Corporation President Alejandro Tengco.
During the event, Duque and Roque expressed their utmost gratitude to the DPWH under the leadership of Secretary Villar for the many efforts being done to continually expand health-care capacities nationwide by putting up modular hospitals and isolation facilities for the medical care needs of Covid-19 patients.
The new health facility was built under the project planning and construction supervision of DPWH Task Force to Facilitate Augmentation of Health Facilities headed by Undersecretary Sadain.
The modular hospital is a testament of the unwavering efforts and initiatives of DPWH to help curb the contagion and mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The DPWH task force continues to send support to the DOH and IATF in pursuit of an efficient and upgraded health service for all Filipinos.
Considering the urgency of rising cases, Wednesday’s turnover of the project will allow early admission to supplement the much-needed additional hospital rooms and emergency facilities.
Image courtesy of DPWH