Makati Mayor Abby Binay on Thursday said the quarantine facilities at Barangay Pembo and Ospital ng Makati (OsMak) have been renovated and are ready to accept COVID-19 patients needing critical care.
The three temporary emergency quarantine facilities (EQF) at Pembo Elementary School and another one at the parking area of OsMak can accommodate 14 beds each. The mayor noted that the beds can be allocated to patients needing emergency care or spillovers from the already full ICU and wards at OsMak.
“The EQF tents were intended as temporary facilities to help treat more patients from OsMak. They served their purpose at the time Makati needed it most. Unfortunately, we are experiencing a surge in cases one year after the pandemic first broke, so it is time to increase the capacity of OsMak so we can better serve our Makatizens,” Mayor Abby sai
She added that the EQFs have been ready for patients as of Holy Wednesday.
The EQFs were built in late April last year with the help of WTA Architecture and Design Studio. Each facility, which is made of wooden frames and polyethylene sheets, has 14 beds, sanitation and disinfection areas, a testing box, and a lounge for nurses.
The city also built negative isolation tents at the ambulance bay of OsMak to protect other patients from contracting the coronavirus. Mayor Abby said these tents are also being renovated to house additional COVID-19 patients.
“We did everything we could to curb the spread of the virus in Makati. However, with the new strains and the workforce returning to business-as-usual, it has become more challenging to keep transmissions at a low rate. The best we can do right now is equip our hospitals and create more facilities where we can immediately treat COVID-19 patients and nurse them back to good health,” Mayor Abby stressed.
In February 2020, the city converted the Makati Friendship Suites in Barangay Cembo into a quarantine facility.
Barangay health centers also put up their isolation areas for those with COVID-19 symptoms.
In October 2020, the Department of Public Works and Highways also constructed a 44-bed isolation facility inside the Makati Aqua Sports Arena.
The makeshift hospital, made from 40-foot container vans, has a nurse station and an X-ray room. It is also fully-air conditioned, equipped with hospital beds, tables and chairs, and a private comfort room for each of the patients. This facility is still fully operational.
Mayor Abby was quick to add that Makatizens should not be complacent even though the city is ready and well-equipped to treat COVID-19 cases.
“The best way to protect yourselves and your families is to follow health protocols and guidelines to the letter. Wear your masks and face shields every time you go out of your homes, always wash and sanitize your hands, follow social distancing, and as much as possible — stay home,” she said.
The mayor also stressed that if an individual suspects that he was exposed to the virus, he should have himself tested immediately to minimize the risk of transmission.
Makati City has also rolled out its mass vaccination program earlier this month beginning with medical frontliners from OsMak and essential workers like members of the police force and fire department.