Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan led the formal launching of the 336-bed capacity Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital in an effort to declog the six city-run hospitals.
Domagoso said the decision to build the hospital was brought about by the anticipated new round of surge in COVID cases in June or July and in view of the clogged up situation in the city hospitals these days.
Once the field hospital is in operation, it will accommodate patients with mild or moderate symptoms so that the city-owned hospitals may now focus mainly on patients falling under critical or severe cases.
“We will get ready five months from now or even for December. We intend to build our seventh hospital in 60 days,” Domagoso said, adding that he got the idea of constructing a field hospital from Italy.
All services in the COVID hospital will be given free of charge.
The field hospital will sit on a 2.6 hectare lot at the Burnham Green area in Luneta Park fronting the Quirino Grandstand, using containers and housing 336 beds.