As hospitals continue to be full, the Philippine Red Cross has opened an emergency field hospital in Quezon City for patients with COVID-19.
Led on Wednesday by PRC Chairman Sen. Richard Gordon, 18 tents with 8 beds each for mild to moderate COVID-19 cases were opened to the public.
According to Gordon, the field hospital, which can accommodate up to 144 patients, will serve as an extension of the Lung Center of the Philippines.
There are standby oxygen tanks, ECG machines, intubation sets, and other basic ward facilities that can handle mild to severe COVID-19 cases.
Each tent also has an air-conditioning unit to ensure proper ventilation or airflow.
He said the setup of emergency field hospitals can be compared to hospitals used in the war. In this case, the war is the one against pandemic.
“Itong nakikita niyo ngayon, tunay na ospital to, ito ang ospital na ginagamit ‘pag panahon ng giyera,” said testing czar Vince Dizon.
The only problem now in the war is the extra soldiers or health care workers.
PH Red Cross opens emergency field hospital
According to Dr. Noel Bernardo, head of the emergency field hospital, they target to get 20 doctors, 70 nurses, and 100 other auxiliary personnel to run the facility properly.
But Bernardo admitted that it is difficult for them now to recruit nurses for fear of being infected with COVID-19.
So far, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines has reached 1,020,495, of which 67,769 are active or remain ill.
Last week, Philippine Red Cross said it will have upcoming Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines in June or July.
According to Gordon, there is a fee and they also need to donate another vaccine to be given to those who cannot afford it.
The Philippine Red Cross will also provide certification proving that the donated vaccine has been used for those in need, Gordon added.
The two doses of the Moderna vaccine are estimated at P4,000. This means that one has to pay P8,000 to get it.
For those interested in making a reservation, please email chairman@redcross.com or call 1158.
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