ILOILO – Three district hospitals in this province are willing to accommodate individuals from the province of Antique in case health facilities there get overcrowded with cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
These are the San Joaquin Mother and Child Hospital in San Joaquin, Rep. Pedro Trono Memorial District Hospital (RPTMDH) in Guimbal and Aleosan District Hospital in Alimodian.
“These hospitals are ready naman,” said Atty. Suzette Mamon, acting provincial administrator. “Abri man ina sila in case magka-spillover…nga indi ma-cater sang mga hospitals didto sa Antique ang mga patients.”
Preparing district hospitals for this scenario is part of the Iloilo provincial government’s COVID-19 strategic plan.
What services can Antiqueños avail themselves from the three Iloilo district hospitals?
Only medical consultations, said Mamon, and emergency cases.
Meanwhile, the provincial government also directed the Municipal Health Offices (MHO) of Miag-ao and San Joaquin to strictly monitor their barangays sharing boundaries with Antique “kay may possibility nga may naka-close contact nga mga residente diri sa mga residente sang Antique kay lapitanay lang ila barangay.”
The Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) of the towns shall also be activated.
San Joaquin is the last town in southern Iloilo, with the towns of Anini-y and Hamtic in Antique just right next to it.
Furthermore, Mamon encouraged the MHOs to closely coordinate with the Antique Provincial Health Office with regards to the COVID situation there.
As of April 4, Antique had 271 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 – 130 were active, 134 recovered and seven deaths.
The continuous operations of cockpits in the province, particularly in San Jose and Sibalom towns, have been the “super spreader” of the virus.
To note, the surge in coronavirus cases prompted Antique’s Gov. Rhodora Cadiao to request for a border restriction from the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force.
However, the request was turned down by the National Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Border restrictions are only applicable to areas under the enhanced community quarantine classification, the taskforce explained./PN
