NEWS

By Betheena Kae Unite

A plan to build dormitories intended to house healthcare workers of hospitals handling coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Quezon City was bared by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Thursday.

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar bared that the agency is planning to build temporary dormitories to provide shelter for healthcare workers in hospitals located along East Avenue and Quezon Avenue in Quezon City.

The temporary dormitories, according to undersecretary Emil Sadain, who heads the DPWH Task Force for Augmentation of Health Facilities, would be constructed at the Quezon Memorial Circle or at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center.

Healthcare workers from the East Avenue Medical Center and Philippine Heart Center located on East Avenue, Lung Center of the Philippines and National Kidney and Transplant Institute on Quezon Avenue, and Veterans Memorial Medical Center on North Avenue are seen to benefit from the temporary accommodation house for healthcare workers who are all in the fight against this pandemic.

Purpose-built dormitories made of collapsible components can be fabricated to temporarily house medical doctors and hospital staff, Sadain said.

A one-storey dormitory can house 16 rooms with separate toilet by joining together assembled two 40-foot modular containers on both left and right side with the middle space for common dining and a separate space for laundry and kitchen area.

Sadain disclosed that the plan to build temporary dormitories came after Dr. Gloanne Adolor of the Lung Center of the Philippines expressed the need to build a place to rest for hospital workers tirelessly serving the healthcare needs of patients as there are no longer space available in the hospital.

“With available place for accommodation, medical personnel need not travel from hospital to home for a short rest. This is also for the protection of the family of health workers since they are frequently exposed to patients,” Villar said.

The secretary noted that more than providing facilities for accommodation, the off-site dormitories near the hospitals will also improve health workers’ ability to adequately monitor the health status of patients.

“The establishment of safe and secure temporary physical shelter is much needed by hospital workers after a strenuous day at the frontlines of COVID-19,” Villar added.

When no longer needed, the temporary dormitories can be disassembled and each of the components can be safely stored by DPWH for other related requirements such as temporary shelter for disaster response.

Source: Manila Bulletin