Tabuk City, Kalinga – Due to exposure of hospital personnel to COVID-19, Kalinga Provincial Hospital, Holy Trinity Medical Clinic, and San Juan General Hospital temporarily suspended admission for the virus-related cases until further notice.
San Juan General Hospital first released a public advisory signed by Director, Dr. John V. Akia on September 18, 2021, stating that the isolation rooms, emergency room, temporary holding area, and temporary treatment monitoring facility have reached full capacity.
The hospital is likewise under-manned, as some of the staff were infected with the virus and are under quarantine.
The hospital was then put under temporary total lockdown “and will not accept out-patient consultations, admissions, emergency, and elective cases, and referrals until further notice.”
Also on September 18, the Holy Trinity Medical Clinic released an advisory that the “COVID-19 ward will be temporarily closed for admission” as the facility has reached full capacity, though the hospital will still accommodate non-COVID-19 cases.
Just this September 20, 2021, Chief of KPH, Dr. Marilyn Tubban-Duyan reported that the Infection Prevention Committee (IPC) of the provincial hospital decided “to temporarily close or suspend admission of COVID-19 patients for the same reason.
The advisory revealed that out of the total 90 COVID-19 admissions, 40 are hospital personnel, 30 of them are under home quarantine.
To stern possible internal transmission, the IPC recommended mass swabbing of all hospital personnel.
The emergency room of KPH shall be opened 27/7 to serve patients residing within Kalinga only.
Consultation services in the Outside Patient Department (OPD) shall be suspended however, services for orthopedic patients shall be selective or at the availability of the concerned surgeon.
All the hospitals urge the public to strictly follow minimum health such as wearing of face mask, frequent hand sanitation, and physical distancing to prevent the spread of the virus.
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