Cebu City eyes DPWH-funded modular hospital in NOAH 2
The Cebu City government is considering building a modular hospital at the The NOAH complex at the South Road Properties. | Contributed Photo (file photo)
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City plans to put up a modular hospital at the NOAH complex in the South Road Properties (SRP).
Councilor Jerry Guardo said that the Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH-7) offered to fund the building of modular hospitals to local government units (LGUs).
Engineer Edgar Tabacon, DPWH-7 director, said that the city could tap on the agency’s quick responcse funds to build this modular hospital.
Modular hospitals are extension hospitals that can easily be built or transformed to fit the needs of the hospital.
It can be built or transformed to fit the needs of a patient or to become an offsite laboratory.
Guardo said the hospital would be built beside NOAH inside the city-owned property.
The NOAH building is privately owned by Bigfoot Studios, though.
“Ang plan nila kay 200-bed capacity unya fully air-conditioned, pero ang doors i-open lang para naay natural air,” said Guardo.
(Their plan involves a 200-bed capacity and fully air-conditioned, but the doors will be opened so that natural air can enter.)
The city government has already requested the funds from DPWH and has hoped to get it approved soon.
There is no timeline yet for the project until it is approved. The project will cost around P200 million to P250 million.
Still, Guardo said this modular hospital would help decongest the hospitals in the city, that had become overwhelmed with the rise of COVID-19 cases in the city.
The hospital utilization rate is currently 77.4 percent nearing the 80 percent critical rate.
The City Health Department (CHD) has been trying to reduce the pressure from the hospitals by opening more isolation beds in step-down facilities.
Still, the Emergency Operations Center previously said they still would need more step-down facilities.
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