Manuel V. Pangilinan
As local coronavirus cases continue to rise, businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Hospitals group has designated Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Sta. Mesa, Manila as its main referral hospital for COVID-19 and prepared to build tents to augment the capacity of other hospitals in the group.
The rest of Metro Pacific’s 15 hospitals nationwide have been tasked to review their respective space, personnel complement and technical resources, with a view to doubling their existing capacity for COVID 19-related patients to more than 600 beds, parent conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Monday.
Should the pandemic rise in intensity in the coming weeks, the hospitals group has been mandated to plan for supplemental tents, with beds and requisite equipment, for non-critical COVID 19 cases in selected hospital grounds, as an extraordinary measure.
Lawyer Pilar Nenuca Almira, who currently heads both the Cardinal Santos Medical Center and the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, was appointed head of the group’s COVID-19 crisis team.
“The country’s health care system faces unprecedented challenges because of the ongoing pandemic, caused by a virus that is unfamiliar, and seems easily transmitted. Our Hospitals Group are focusing their resources on critical concerns – particularly hospital care for the most critically-ill patients infected by COVID-19,” Pangilinan said.
“At the same time, we aim to provide every assistance possible to our doctors, nurses and health care personnel to protect their well-being and safety as they courageously pursue their enormously difficult task of caring for patients. We owe them an inestimable debt of gratitude – these gallant front-liners who altogether reflect our people’s compassion and caring,” he added.