VSMMC maintains ‘priority’ protocol in COVID testing
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) maintains that it will follow “prioritization protocols” in testing their patients for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) despite a recommendation from the Philippines Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS) to conduct a universal screening among pregnant patients.
In an advisory, VSMMC said the hospital still puts patients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in top priority in testing for COVID-19.
Influenza-like illness (ILI) patients that are in high-risk pregnancies come in second priority for the testing followed by pregnant patients who come from areas that are perceived to have “sustained local transmissions.”
READ: Maternity patients, newborn among new cases in Cebu
According to the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH), a pregnancy is considered “high-risk ” if it “threatens” the health or life of the mother or her unborn, which often requires specialized care.
“Although the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS) recommends the universal screening of all pregnant patients, VSMMC follows the test prioritization for rt-PCR for SARS-CoV2 even for pregnant patients admitted for delivery,” the hospital administration said.
VSMMC, a Department of Health regional hospital, is the largest medical facility catering to COVID-19 cases in Cebu and the Visayas.
On previous occasions, the health department has cautioned expectant mothers and their families to be more cautious of their health as the pregnancy may cause the patient to become vulnerable to COVID-19 infection.
Last Monday, May 18, at least four mothers in Cebu were reported positive for COVID-19. All four patients, who are residents in different towns in the province, were admitted at the Talisay District Hospital for delivery. One newborn from Toledo City, who was born in the same hospital, also tested positive for the virus although it was not confirmed if the mother is also COVID-19 positive. At present, there is no evidence yet that an infected mother can transmit the virus to her unborn child. /rcgDisclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
