DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The Southern Philippines Medical Center said they would be making a sustainable plan for their medical personnel in the frontline of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) as new health and lodging concerns came up.
SPMC Chief Training Officer Dr. Maria Elinore Concha said they are looking for alternative arrangements for housing their personnel after reports that their current accommodations in hotels would resume its normal operations once the enhanced community quarantine will be possibly lifted this month.
Local hotels and establishments provided free lodging to health workers where some had been evicted from their dormitories and boarding houses for fear of spreading the virus in their facilities.
“We cannot continue (hoping they) provide housing for all at a free rate if that could not be sustainable in the long run. What if this runs for a year or two,” she said.
SPMC is the lone hospital in the city to cater to Covid-19 cases in the region. The center has a building separated for such cases and have been considering to expand its facilities more.
The SPMC officer said they are considering setting up shower facilities if they could not source a housing location, which may become a new normal for the hospital.
Concha said they will ensure their staff would be tested first before being able to go back to their homes and reunite with their families.
As of May 5, SPMC reports that 18 of their 958 health personnel have contracted with Covid-19.
“We don’t want to give them the double burden of thinking that they could transmit the disease to their families,” she added. (davaotoday.com)
