The Quezon City government on Monday announced the opening of its first dialysis center dedicated for patients with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Quezon City General Hospital and Medical Center (QCGHMC).

The center, which is equipped with four dialysis machines, is located at the ground floor of the QCGHMC extension facility.

The dialysis center was opened after its accreditation was obtained from the Department of Health (DOH) last Friday, the city government said.

“Ngayong mayroon na tayong dialysis center na solely for our COVID-19 patients, mas magiging madali na ang pagbibigay serbisyo sa kanila,” Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said in a statement.

Belmonte said dialysis patients whose result in the RT-PCR test is positive will be automatically admitted to the COVID-19 dialysis center ward.

The dialysis fee will be shouldered by the city government, she added.

According to QCGHMC director Dr. Josephine Sabando, the dialysis center can accommodate up to 12 patients per day.

Sabando assured that measures are in place to ensure the safety of patients and the frontliners who will attend to their needs.

“We know that COVID-19 is highly contagious so we included in our protocol that all consumables including tubings and dialyzer should be on a ‘one time use’ only,” she emphasized.

On-duty doctors and nurses are also required to wear Level 4 personal protective equipment (hazmat suit) at all times to avoid infection.

High-efficiency particulate air filters have also been installed to ensure that the air circulating in the area is clean.

“We see to it that aside from our patients, our healthcare workers are also being taken care of,” Sabando said.

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday (April 13) threatened to suspend hospitals, especially those operated by the government, if they refuse to admit patients suffering from any kind of illness, including those suspected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

This, after the President heard of a patient in Cabanatuan City who died from an ailment after six hospitals rejected him.

President Duterte said that aside from suspension and charges against the facility, staff or doctors responsible for such negligence will be punished by dismissal from work.

“Kaya lahat na magkasakit (that’s why all those who will get sick), especially government hospitals, my order is – [you] must accept admission,” the President said.

“You fail on that, I will relieve all of you from the hospital and you can consider yourself suspended because the written order will follow,” he added.

Meanwhile, the President said the enhanced community quarantine will be useless without the cooperation of the public in observing proper social distancing measures.

Such behavior is causing the rise in number of confirmed cases in the country.

Thus, the President also warned to sanction local government units (LGUs) who are being lax in implementing strict social distancing protocol.

“Kayong mga mayors, huwag kayong maglaro kung ayaw ninyo mag-social distancing, mapipilitan ako puntahan ka at arestuhin ka. Ayaw kong mag-aresto ng mayor, (To all mayors, do not play around. If you don’t enforce social distancing measures, I will be compelled to come to your place and arrest you),” the Chief Executive warned local officials who insist on imposing their own ordinances different from what the national government orders.

“Sa panahon na ito ang batas isa lang, ang batas ng (Department on Health) as implemented by Lorenzana, Año, Galvez.  Silang tatlo. Iyan ang batas ngayon (At this time, there is only one law and that is the one ordered by the DOH as implemented by Lorenzana, Año, Galvez — those three. That is the law at present),” he concluded. MNP (with reports from Rosalie Coz)

MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino-made device seen to help health workers in monitoring vital signs of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients is on its way to various health facilities in the country.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has initially delivered 106 units of biomedical device called ‘RxBox’ to the Philippine General Hospital and around 1,000 units will be delivered to other health facilities in the coming days.

The device is capable of measuring a patient’s temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, uterine contractions and electrocardiogram (ECG) reading.

“Iyan ay ikakabit sa mga pasyente ng COVID-19 at imo-monitor ang kanilang vital signs via computer na nurses’ station,” explained Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña.

The RxBox was developed by researchers from the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila and Diliman campuses with the support of the DOST. MNP (with details from Rey Pelayo)