DPWH, EEI and Villar Group complete PICC health facilities

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), with the support of private firms EEI Corporation and the Villar-led Vista Land Group, has completed the construction works of the health facility at Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Forum Halls in just seven days.

Secretary Mark A. Villar announced that civil works for the makeshift hospital at the PICC Forum Tent are already completed with 294 patient cubicles, six nurses stations, and six smart houses outside the Forum building for the health workers.

“With the DPWH-EEI-Villar Group Team working 24/7, we finished the job quickly ahead of the  10-day work programmed for conversion of PICC Forum Tent”, Villar said.

The fully airconditioned health facility at PICC complex will soon cater to patients with mild to moderate cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 once medical equipment, such as hospital beds are installed and disinfection activities are completed.

“The Philippine National Police (PNP) Medical Corps will manage the health service operation of PICC Forum Tent quarantine facility”, Villar said.

Earlier, Secretary Villar formed a DPWH Task Force on Augmentation of Healthcare Facilities to work on the conversion of PICC, Rizal Memorial Coliseum, World Trade Center and other large scale public buildings to be used as isolation sites to address hospital space shortage due to the rise of COVID-19 cases.

The task force headed by Undersecretary Emil Sadain has also identified open spaces in Metro Manila where prototype tents can be installed and transformed it into quarantine hubs.

Secretary Villar also directed the utilization of the available 114 DPWH-built evacuation centers nationwide as health care facilities and for other COVID-19 response purposes.

Secretary Villar also lauded the DPWH men and women who are also acting as support frontliners during this national health emergency.