The emergency room of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) is still closed after a broke out at the hospital’s third floor on Sunday.
“Ang ER, hindi pa po. Hopefully by tomorrow, bukas na. Ngayong oras hindi pa po puwedeng buksan. Inaayos pa ang mga bagay-bagay,” PGH spokesperson Dr. Jonas del Rosario said in an interview on Unang Balita.
(The ER is still closed. Hopefully by tomorrow, it will be open. At the moment it cannot be opened yet. We are still fixing some stuff.)
Del Rosario added the hospital’s operations are now getting back to normal.
“Almost all patients are back to their rooms and wards,” he said, except for those who were transferred to other hospitals such as newborn babies and a few private patients.
“‘Yung mga nailipat sa chapel, sa corridor, ER, halos naibalik na po namin sila lahat,” he said.
(Those who were temporarily transferred to the chapel, the corridor, the ER, almost all of them were moved back to their rooms or wards.)
The PGH official said COVID-19 patients were separated from non-COVID-19 patients even during the evacuation.
Del Rosario added that operating rooms remain closed because instruments affected by the fire needed to be checked.
“Within 24-48 hours, masasabi namin kung kailan magre-resume,” Del Rosario said.
ER of PGH still closed after fire
(Within 24-48 hours, we will be able to say when [the operating rooms] can resume.)
He also lauded the firemen who were careful in extinguishing the fire.
“Wala halos water damage. Maingat ang mga bumbero. Maselan ang lugar. Alam nilang hindi puwedeng mabasa lahat,” he said.
(There was hardly any water damage. The firemen were very careful. The area was sterile. They knew the area could not afford to be damaged by water.)
Meanwhile, PGH advised its staff to wear K95 masks 24/7 from May 16 to 17.
The PGH spox also thank those who donated to the hospital.
“Nagpapasalamat po kami sa lahat ng mabilis tumugon sa aming pawagan ng tulong lalo na sa mga nagbigay ng sheets at linen, unan. ‘Yung mga pasyenteng nailipat sa ER ang nando’n ay mga stretcher lang kaya kailangan nila ‘yon. Mga nagdala ng breast milk para sa mga sanggol, mga nagdala ng pagkain. Para kaming nagkaroon ng community pantry,” Del Rosario said.
(We thank everyone who immediately responded to our needs, especially those who gave sheets, linen, and pillows. The patients who were transferred [temporarily] to the ER needed those since only stretchers were available. [We also thank] those who brought breast milk for babies, those who brought food. It was like we had a community pantry.)
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