Patients’ watchers barred from DOH-run hospital in Bacolod

The Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH), a Department of Health-run hospital here, is strictly implementing its “no watchers” policy to minimize the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), its medical center chief Julius Drilon, said.

He said they started this policy two weeks ago because the local transmission is “very strong,” with 85% of the hospital staff who tested positive for COVID-19 contracting it from the community. He said the rate is too high.

With the new policy, families and relatives of the patients, especially those from out of town, have camped outside the hospital premises over the weekend.

This prompted officials of Barangay 18, which is located in front of the hospital, to put up canopy and chairs at the entrance of the village where the patients’ watchers can stay.

Drilon said they will not bend their policy as it is also meant to protect the watchers, the healthcare workers, and the patients, because right now, “everybody is a suspect [of carrying the virus].”

He said the hospital’s main concern right now are the patients and not their watchers, as he assured the families that they will take care of the needs of the patients.

He said the CLMMRH is currently serving 173 non-coronavirus patients and 70 COVID-19 positive patients. If 173 watchers would come to visit the hospital at once, and if one of them is a carrier, it could be dangerous.

“We have put a protective bubble in the hospital, and bringing in a potential carrier is very dangerous,” he said.

Last week, CLMMRH announced it would limit its patient admission after it had reached its maximum capacity.

Drilon said 5% of the total 1,500 hospital workforce was hit by the virus. They currently have 12 active cases, most of whom are support staff who contracted the virus from the community. – Rappler.com