DPWH turns over quarantine facilities, off-site dorms in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) represented by DPWH-6 Regional Director Lea N. Delfinado turned over several COVID-19 facilities to the local government units of Bacolod City and Province of Negros Occidental, recently.

Secretary and Isolation Czar Mark Villar said that the completed facilities are composed of two units of isolation facility with total capacity of 32 beds at Brgy. Alijis, Bacolod City and two off-site dormitories, each with 32 beds, for the use of hospital personnel, located at Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, Negros Occidental and Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Hospital in Bacolod City.

The quarantine/isolation facility completed through the efforts of DPWH Task Force to Facilitate Augmentation of Local and National Health Facilities and Regional Office 6 will augment the capacity of hospitals to care for patients and cope with the rising number of COVID-19 cases while the dormitories will provide temporary shelter for medical frontline workers who are providing healthcare services, added Secretary Villar.

Each isolation unit has a total area of 432 square meters with 16 rooms fully furnished with individual air conditioner and comfort room, nurse’s station, separate medical staff quarter with comfort room for male and female, sanitation area, water tanks, and standby generator.

In his report to Secretary Villar, Undersecretary and Task Force Head Emil K. Sadain said that the two (2) units of isolation facilities were received by Bacolod City Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia from DPWH.

The dorms made of converted container vans were turned over by DPWH to Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose V. Lacson, Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 Director Marlyn W. Convocar, and the respective chief of the two (2) hospitals.

The dormitory at Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital and Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Hospital have 16-room each furnished with double-deck beds, individual air conditioner and comfort room.

Delfinado said the facilities will provide a safer and comfortable space for medical frontline workers to rest after working long hours in attending to patients.

“These facilities will lessen the risk of exposing their (frontline workers) family members to the virus. These may also be utilized to accommodate victims of natural calamities, disasters and other emergency situations,” she said. (DPWH-6/RPAIO)