By Jhon Aldrin Casinas As hospitals in Metro Manila have reached their capacity to care for COVID-19 patients, the San Juan Medical Center has created a special isolation facility for persons under investigation (PUIs) for the disease. San Juan Medical Center
(FACEBOOK / MANILA BULLETIN) “We have created a 16-bed capacity COVID-19 isolation area which we call the Charlie Ward,” San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said. Zamora said they were also about to finish an additional 26-bed capacity COVID-29 Overflow Ward at the city-run hospital for PUIs who need to be hospitalized. “Not all PUIs are for admission in the hospital, some are for home quarantine,” he explained. As of 10 p.m. Sunday, Zamora said in an update that San Juan City now has 42 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with four confirmed deaths,148 PUIs, and 86 persons under monitoring (PUMs). According to their tally, most of the confirmed cases were recorded in Barangay Greenhills with 14 and Barangay West Crame with 12. Zamora said the hospital’s 16 isolation rooms were now all occupied by PUIs, five of whom have tested positive for COVID-19. There are also 11 more PUIs for admission who were waiting at the triage area of the hospital. “With the number of COVID patients now and the projected increase in a week or two, we will experience overcapacity, not just in terms of the number of beds but also in terms of personnel complement or healthcare workers needed, not discounting the logistical requirements challenge like beds, mechanical ventilators, PPEs (personal protective equipments),” he said. The city mayor also said the local government will establish a COVID-19 Overflow Building in one of the new public school buildings in San Juan. “It can house a minimum of 90 beds. This is in cooperation with the Xavier School community,” he said.