Number of confirmed and probable pandemic patients in MPIC hospital group COVID referral facility continues to spike

Makati, Philippines, 15th June 2020 – Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital (OLLH), the designated COVID-19 referral facility of Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings Inc. (MPHHI), continues to accept suspect, probable and confirmed patients in support of the government’s efforts to flatten the pandemic’s curve.

OLLH is a 230-bed capacity level 3 hospital operated by the Metro Pacific group. “MPHHI, including OLLH, is one with the government in preventing the spread of the pandemic in the country,” Augusto Palisoc Jr., President & CEO of MPHHI, said.

Since its designation on March 23 as referral center, the number of its confirmed COVID patients has grown by four times until early this month. It initially opened its doors to 9 confirmed patients which spiked to 41 by June 5.

Likewise, probable COVID cases has grown more than 12 times. from only 12 patients, when the center opened in March, to 150 by June 5. As of today, there were also 62 suspect cases. 

To accommodate the increasing number of COVID patients in the facility, OLLH has opened multiple wardsto separate patients of different symptom profiles. For example, aside from wards for COVID confirmed patients, there are separate dedicated quarantine wards for suspect cases, wards for patients developing respiratory problems thus classified as probable cases, and wards for healthcare professional (HCPs) and healthcare workers (HCWs). 

To augment the limited number of healthcare workers in the facility, an additional 48 nurses were deployed in OLLH from MPPHI’s nationwide network of 15 other hospitals. 

The center also received more RT-PCR Testing allocations from DOH accredited labs such as RITM, UP-NIH and another MPHHI hospital Makati Medical Center. 

Dr. Joyce Santos, OLLH’s VP for Medical Services, said as part of MPHHI’s protocols to prevent new in-hospital infection clusters, OLLH is strictly implementing and continuously improving patient care processes for COVID and non-COVID cases. 

In line with this, Dr. Santos added, OLLH conducts periodic testing of frontliners as well as prompt contact tracing and quarantine procedures once health-workers develop symptoms.

Under the new normal, MPHHI member hospitals, including OLLH, are stocking up on personal protective equipment (PPEs), putting in place infrastructure improvements for zoning, and strictly implementing infection prevention measures/controls to fully protect returning doctors and patients.

As the quarantine classification of NCR continues to ease down, OLLH expects to gradually return to its normal operations to include the booking of its ORs for surgical procedures and OB cases, and the resumption of face-to-face consultations as at least 70% of doctors return to their clinics to offer full coverage of all medical specialty services. 

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For further information, please contact:

Melody del Rosario

VP – Public Relations and Corporate Communications, MPIC

09189635639