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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider PSC offers sports arenas for COVID-19 patients' care

PSC offers sports arenas for COVID-19 patients' care

Published Apr 8, 2020 12:00 am
By Genalyn Kabiling The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has offered the use of seven to eight sports facilities as temporary medical facilities to help ease hospital congestion amid the COVID-19 outbreak. PSC Chairperson William Ramirez (MB Photo / Alvin Kasiban) PSC Chairperson William Ramirez
(MB Photo / Alvin Kasiban) PSC Chairperson  William Ramirez said several facilities inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila and PhilSports Complex in Pasig City are available for government use. "Mga last week of February and the first week of March with the development of coronavirus all over the world, napag-usapan na namin sa commission baka the possibility of using our facilities kasi nakita namin sa Europe na ginagamit yung mga gym so 'yun  I called up Executive Secretary (Salvador) Medialdea na available itong Rizal Sports Complex, yung PhilSports Arena (In the last week of February and the first week of March with the development of the coronavirus all over the world, the commission discussed the possibility of using our facilities because we have seen that in Europe gyms were used as temporary health care facilities.  I called up Executive Secretary Medialdea to say Rizal Sports Complex and PhilSports Arena are available)," Ramirez said during the "Laging Handa" (Always Ready) public briefing Wednesday. "We have seven to eight venues available na gamitin ng gobyerno (for government use),"  he said. Apart from the Ninoy Aquino Stadium recently converted into a quarantine facility, Ramirez said the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, track and football field, and other buildings inside the Rizal sports complex may serve as temporary medical facilities. "Kapag kailangan na magkaroon ng tent stadium, puwede 'yung Rizal track oval, 'yung baseball grounds at 'yung mga tulugan ng frontliners, may ilan pang mga buildings doon na i-occupy ng mga doctors and nurses and other areas (If they need a tent stadium, Rizal track oval and the baseball grounds are available. Some buildings may be used as sleeping quarters for doctors and nurses)," he said. The PhilSports arena, previously used in the Southeast Asian volleyball games, as well as the track and field oval could also be converted into medical facilities, according to Ramirez. As cases of infections continued to rise, the government recently moved to convert large buildings into fully-functional quarantine centers with the help of the private sector. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Rizal Sports Complex, Philippine International Convention Center and World Trade Center, can accommodate a total of 1,950 individuals once converted into medical facilities. These facilities aim to prevent the hospitals from getting overwhelmed with coronavirus cases. Other planned quarantine centers tapped by the government are Philippine Arena in Bulacan, New Clark City buildings, PhilSports Arena, Quezon Institute, Duty Free Philippines in Parañaque, Amoranto sports complex in Quezon City, open areas of Quezon City memorial circle complex, Veterans Medical Center complex, FTI facility in Taguig City, and Filinvest Tent in Alabang.
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