Baguio hospital resumes operation

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — After briefly closing its doors to new patients, the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) resumed operation yesterday afternoon.

The surge of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in this city prompted administrators of the state-run hospital to temporarily stop accepting patients.

The hospital’s management committee said the decision was necessary in preventing the spread of the disease.

Recently, nine health workers, including three doctors, were added to the number of confirmed cases.  

As of yesterday, Baguio has 29 confirmed cases. Of the figure, 16 are undergoing treatment, 12 have recovered and one had died.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong ordered the immediate testing of health workers. 

Magalong directed hospital administrators to submit a list of their staff members for testing.

The city government has started the expanded risk-based testing, targeting 200 qualified patients per day. 

Health workers are among the identified priority groups in the testing program, city health officer Rowena Galpo said.

The BGHMC advised its consultants, who are not part of the COVID-19 team duty and are asymptomatic, to undergo home quarantine for 14 days, starting on the day of their last visit to the hospital. 

Consultants manifesting symptoms related to COVID-19 will be prioritized for swabbing.