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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider East Avenue Medical Center has more bodies than it can accommodate

East Avenue Medical Center has more bodies than it can accommodate

Published Apr 12, 2020 12:00 am
By MB Online A Quezon City hospital's morgue built to accommodate just five bodies now contains 20 cadavers due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. The East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) on Saturday said it has experienced a “piling up” of bodies inside its morgue. In an exclusive interview with CNN Philippines, EAMC spokesperson Dr. Dennis Ordoña said the hospital morgue was only built for five patients, but up to 20 bodies were stored inside. He added that the relatives usually claim a body within six hours after the death, but there are still unclaimed bodies in the hospital morgue. Ordoña assured that the hospital is already coordinating with the local government units to help them in processing the bodies. The confirmation was made after news anchor Arnold Clavio posted on his Instagram account‬ on Saturday about what was allegedly going on inside a hospital based in Metro Manila. Clavio said that the bodies in the hospital began to pile up in the hallways and the hospital had called for more body bags. “Nagkalat sa hallway ng ospital ang mga bangkay. Sa isang ward, ‪may 15-20‬ ang COVID-19 positive. Sa tatlong ward, puno ng PUI (Person Under Investigation),” Clavio said. Ordoña, however, denied the claim that the bodies were located in the hospital’s hallway, saying it was in the morgue hallway. He also said that those bodies were all persons under investigation (PUIs) and none have tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The hospital said it is still open for donations of body bags and a mobile morgue or freezer for future use. In a separate statement, EAMC director Dr. Alfonso Nuñez also clarified it “has received no directive, order, or statement from the Department of Health Office of the Secretary or the Quezon City Local Government to stop or hold the census and reporting of deaths-related to COVID-19. “ This after Clavio also claimed that a hospital based in Metro Manila was allegedly instructed to stop counting COVID-19 related deaths. As of Saturday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 4,428. Of those infected, 247 died and 157 recovered.
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