Governor Albert Raymond Garcia said the Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center is undergoing an accreditation process to be a COVID-19 Testing Laboratory to fast-track identification of residents infected by the disease.
“In this way, it will prevent the spread of the disease in the community and we can provide immediate care to the patients,” Garcia said.
He also revealed that the provincial government already purchased 2,000 rapid test kits and 8,000 confirmatory test kits.
“We are also making sure that we have enough personal protective equipment, ventilators and other medical supplies that will be used by our frontliners,” Garcia stressed.
The governor added that the Mariveles District Hospital (MDH), as referral hospital for COVID-19 patients, is now ready to accept patients who are suspected to have the virus.
“MDH has prepared 50 beds for persons under investigation, in addition to four rooms allotted for those who will test positive to COVID-19,” he disclosed.
Garcia assured the public that MDH will take extra precautions on handling and isolating COVID-19 cases to ensure that other patients confined in the hospital will not get infected.
Moreover, he revealed that some facilities in the province are being eyed to house possible COVID-19 patients, such the Bataan People’s Center in Balanga City.
Municipal and City Mayors, in coordination with Department of Health and Provincial Health Office, are identifying public and private facilities to turn as an isolation or quarantine area within their jurisdiction.
The Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 reported that as of April 11, there are three isolation areas in Dinalupihan, two in Orion, and one each in Hermosa, Pilar, Limay and Balanga City.
Moreover, Abucay, Bagac and Hermosa have two quarantine areas each, while Dinalupihan, Orani, Samal, Morong, Limay, Mariveles and Balanga City have already identified one each.