Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar inspected on Friday the on-going six cluster dormitories inside Quezon Memorial Circle to be completed at the end of June 2020.
DPWH through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) is assisting the local government of Quezon City put up ‘We Heal as One Offsite Dormitory’ solely for use by doctors, nurses and other medical professionals working in hospitals within the territorial jurisdiction of Quezon City and need space to rest between shifts.
Each of the six cluster dormitories inspected by Secretary Villar with Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, DPWH Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, and QC Buiding Official Atty. Mark Dale Diamond P. Perral will have 16 rooms with own toilet and bath with hot and cold water.
Secretary Villar said that the on-going construction of six dormitories are being fast-tracked with one dormitory cluster about 90 percent completed.
The purpose-built offsite dormitories conceptualized by DPWH Task Force for Augmentation of Health Facilities headed by Undersecretary Sadain to support the need
for accommodation facilities of hospital workers on the front lines of caring for COVID-19 patients are made of collapsible components fabricated to assemble 16 rooms, eight on left and eight on right side with the middle space intended for living room and common dining and separate space for laundry and kitchen area at end.
Each room can accommodate two persons for a total 32 people for each dormitory cluster or capacity of 192 people for six dormitories.
On instructions of Secretary Villar, Undersecretary Sadain worked closely with the office of Mayor Belmonte to make space available for offsite dormitories of frontliners
Operation of the dormitories after its completion by DPWH will be undertaken by the LGU in accordance with the MOA signed by Secretary Villar and Quezon City Mayor Belmonte. The DOH will also provide assistance in the management and implementation of applicable health standards and protocols at the offsite dormitory since it is among the built COVID-19 facilities for healthcare workers.
Medical personnel of Quezon City-based hospitals such as National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine Heart Center, East Avenue Medical Center, Veterans Memorial Hospital, Childrens Hospital, and V. Luna General Hospital are intended to benefit from the temporary shelter project.
When the structure is no longer needed, the temporary dormitories can be dismantled and removed on site and each of the components can be safely stored by DPWH as part of its property for other related requirements such as temporary shelter during disaster/calamity response.