Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 12) — The Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday it is implementing strategies this week to decongest a pavilion at the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) in Mandaluyong City.
DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency created a team with members from its hospital operations unit, licensing office, and health facilities enhancement program to personally visit and assess the situation in the facility.
\”Pinapunta po natin sila kahapon doon para magkaroon tayo ng further assessment sa status ng NCMH para naman maibsan natin ‘yung mga sinasabi o apparent complaints,\” she said in a press briefing.
[Translation: We told them to visit the facility yesterday so that we can have further assessment on the status of NCMH and appease apparent complaints.]
In March, Sen. Raffy Tulfo conducted a surprise inspection at the NCMH after getting a tip that patients in the facility are experiencing poor living conditions.
Based on the team’s assessment, Vergeire said the DOH will begin moving some patients from Pavilion 4 or the Forensic Ward, where those with pending court cases are being accommodated.
According to the DOH, the pavilion’s original capacity is 300 patients but it is now housing over 600 patients.
\”Itong building na pinapatayo natin, by Friday pwede na lagyan ng mga pasyente. So maililipat na natin ‘yung I think almost 60 pasyente coming from this pavilion, ‘yung forensics pavilion na nakitang medyo congested, para po ma-decongest,\” Vergeire said.
[Translation: By Friday, we can move patients to this building that we are constructing. So we can already move the almost 60 patients coming from this pavilion, the forensics pavilion we saw that was congested, so it can be decongested.]
\”Nakasulat na rin po tayo sa mga concerned agencies para makahingi ng tulong [We already wrote to concerned agencies to ask for help] for these patients who had been classified as discharged and competent already,\” she said.
\”So that they can be returned already doon po sa kanilang mga kailangan lagakan [to where they should be] while waiting for their case to be heard in their trial courts,\” the DOH officer-in-charge added.
