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FILE PHOTO OF RESEARCHER OF THE PHILIPPINES ORTHOPEDIC CENTER
MANILA, Philippines – A day after 110 of its staff were reported to have tested positive for COVID-19, seven more employees at the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC) in Quezon City also contracted the disease, bringing the total cases to 117, according to the official in charge of the hospital (OIC) on Saturday.
In a statement, the officer in charge of the POC, Dr. John Andrew Michael Bengzon, said that due to the increase in COVID-19 cases among hospital staff, the POC management has decided to temporarily close the outpatient department. .
Despite the closure of the outpatient department, Bengzon added that online consultations will be offered instead of face-to-face outpatient consultations.
Apart from this, the POC management has also decided to suspend elective surgeries and the adjustment of working hours for all its staff.
The POC OIC also announced that the second dose of its launch of the Sinovac vaccine will be April 5-12, and that a mandatory continuous smear will be performed on April 7 for hospital staff.
“At present, there are still 216 hospitalized patients and 12 COVID patients. All of them continue to be cared for, ”Bengzon said.
“The emergency room is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We will continue to care for orthopedic emergency patients, “he added.
The hospital has also called on the public to seek help for personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly face masks, saying there is a need for hospital staff to wear a double mask.
It was on Friday that Sean Herbert Velchez, head of the National Union of Orthopedic Workers, revealed that 110 of POC’s 180 employees have contracted COVID-19.
When asked for comment on the matter, the Department of Health (DOH) said that the hospital’s operations will continue.
“The POC service is continuous. Open for emergencies [orthopedic] cases while their outpatient services can be accessed through their Facebook page (teleconsults), ”DOH said in a Viber message to journalists.
(The POC’s service will continue. It is open to receiving orthopedic cases, while its outpatient services can be accessed through its Facebook page.)
EDV
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