319 of the city’s former isolation beds from decommissioned isolation facilities have been redistributed for use in hospitals, health centers, and schools.
According to City Health Officer Rowena Galpo, 324 requests for beds have been received, with 125 requests coming from the local Department of Education (DepEd) offices, 100 from the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC), 57 from the various barangays, 20 from Barangay Itogon specifically, 18 for various health centers in the city, and four for Teachers’ Camp.
The 319 redistributed beds also include some going to public schools, which is part of the requirements for returning to face-to-face classes.
Originally, the city received some 601 hospital beds through an agreement with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which were then distributed to the city’s various isolation facilities.
However, as the COVID-19 situation improved in the city, the local government started to shut down isolation facilities, leaving only the Baguio City Community Isolation Unit at the former Sto. Niño hospital.
Galpo reported that the 417-bed Hernandez and Romulo halls of the Baguio Teachers Camp, the 101-bed Laurel Dormitory, the 30-bed Ferioni Apartment, and the 60-bed Eurotel have already been closed by the concerned government agencies and the city government.
Meanwhile, City Administrator Bonifacio Dela Peña also said that the city is reducing the number of personnel in the city’s central triage to an amount that can operate only a third of its triage facilities.
These reductions in COVID-19 measures are cost-cutting measures intended to help the city cut down on unnecessary spending now that the pandemic is beginning to let up and vaccine coverage has increased.
