Baguio hospital sets up facilities for Ebola

BAGUIO CITY  — The Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, a primary hospital serving Cordillera and the  neighboring provinces of the region, is preparing an isolation facility for patients with symptoms of Ebola and other contagious diseases.

Vice Mayor Edison Bilog revealed that the City Council has approved the ordinance to set up an isolation facility with a funding of P1 million.

“The present Ebola virus disease outbreak in the West Africa has increased the possibility of people travelling from the impacted countries to infect Filipinos including residents in Baguio City,” Bilog noted in the proposed ordinance which he authored.

“An isolation room is important to prevent other people or patients from acquiring the same disease and this is very urgent that is why we are expecting that this will be constructed the soonest possible time,” Bilog added.

The isolation facility will have one room for those confirmed to have Ebola which can accommodate two persons.

Two other rooms with a capacity of four will be for patients suspected to have Ebola.

It will be equipped with an incinerator to destroy the equipments used in the facility.

The city is also preparing two ambulances for patients with Ebola, which will be driven by personnel who will be trained by the Department of Health (DOH).

Infectious diseases experts have warned that in the event Ebola reaches Philippine shores, private hospitals in the country are still ill-prepared and that government hospitals must step up.