Lapu to build city hospital OPD extension for non-COVID-19 cases

The ongoing construction of the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital OPD extension, which will cater to non-COVID-19 cases. |  Photo from Mayor Junard Chan’s FB page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The city government of Lapu-Lapu is constructing an extension of the Outpatient Department (OPD)  at the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital to cater to non-COVID-19 related medical needs amid the still-rising number of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the city.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan said the city’s Crisis Management Team recommended against mixing the non-COVID patients in the main hospital, which caters to moderate COVID-19 cases, to prevent cross-infections.

Chan added that the city hospital is no longer catering obstetrics cases, except for those who will undergo a Caesarian Section procedure.

The OB cases and recovering CS patients are being referred to the Opon Puericulture to prevent the mothers and newborns from being infected with the virus.

As of the July 13, 2020, data of the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7), the city has 1,286 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 823 of which remaining active.

Chan said the figures now overwhelm both the government and private hospitals in the city.

“Ang mga indibidwal nga adunay mild COVID cases anaa sa atong mga isolation facilities ug ang mga anaay moderate cases anaa sa atong public hospital nga puno na. In fact, dili na modawat ang ubang mga private hospitals kay puno na ang ilang hospitals sa mga severe ug moderate COVID patients,” Chan said.

(Individuals with COVID cases are at our isolation facilities and those moderate cases are at the public hospitals, which are already full. In fact, some private hospitals won’t accept patients anymore because they are filled with severe and moderate COVID patients.)

The mayor added that city is now expediting the construction of the OPD extension across the main hospital in order to cater to the non-COVID-19 cases in the city.

In a Facebook live update and photos uploaded on his page, the mayor showed the progress of the construction of the OPD section across the city hospital in Barangay Gun-ob.

‘Demolition’ of store

Chan, in the same post, also defended the city’s move to demolish a store that was sitting on the city-owned lot where the OPD extension is being built.

The owner of the store posted on the Facebook page, Lapu Lapu News, her grievances on the demolition of the structure, which she said was their “only source of income.”

The netizen lamented that the city government neither waited until the pandemic ends nor gave them time to look for another place.

Chan, however, said the city served the owner of the structure a notice to vacate before it was demolished.

“Mihatag kita og lugway para sila makapangandam og gipadad-an nato sila og notice to vacate,” Chan wrote.

(We gave then time so they can prepare and sent them a notice to vacate.)

The mayor also said that the concern on the demolition of the store does not run contrary to his ‘no-relocation, no-demolition’ campaign.

Chan said the store owner was not being deprived of shelter because she had a “comfortable house to live in” as compared to informal settlers whose homes were not demolished without the provision of a relocation site.

Chan added that the city government only acted to solve the concern on public health.

“Mas mopatigbabaw sa gobyerno ang pagluwas sa kadaghanan kaysa sa pipila nga kaugalingon interes lang ang gihunahuna. Mamahimo ra ka nga makakita og laing pwesto sa imong mga tinda pero dili mamahimo nga ibutang lang sa bisag asang lugar ang atong mga pasyente,” Chan said.

(The government prioritizes to save the greater number of people over the interest of some. You can look for other spots to sell your goods but the patients cannot just be placed anywhere.) /bmjo

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