Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 3) — The Philippine Orthopedic Center will provide teleconsultations instead of face-to-face consultations for the meantime as over 100 of its staff tested positive for COVID-19, the hospital’s officer in charge announced on Saturday.
“With a range of outpatients between 350-450/day and the increasing positivity rate of COVID patients, 117 out of 180 swabbed staff turned positive,” the Dr. John Andrew Michael Bengzon said in a statement.
He reported they helped facilitate the transfer of some infected staff to isolation facilities due to the limited hospital beds allotted for their own staff. He added they will continue testing more employees on April 7.
The specialty hospital’s outpatient department is temporarily closed, and elective surgeries will be postponed, according to Bengzon. However, their employees will continue to treat patients with urgent orthopedic needs, he added.
“The emergency room is open 24/7,” the OIC said. “We will continue to treat orthopedic emergency patients.”
For non-emergency cases, the public can consult online through the POC Orthopedic Surgery OPD Appointments Facebook page.
At present, the medical facility continues to cater to 216 non-COVID-19 patients and 12 COVID-19 patients, he said.
Bengzon is also seeking donations of personal protective equipment as “there is a need for hospital staff to double mask.”
