DAGUPAN CITY, Aug 20 (PIA) - -  The Region I Medical Center, the only corona virus disease (COVID-19)  referral facility in Pangasinan, urges people to fully practice health standards and utmost discipline to avoid the worst case scenario where the  facility will be closed to normal operations and become a COVID-19 hospital.

Center Chief Dr. Joseph Roland Mejia said currently, there are 113 patients occupying the 120-bed capacity COVID-Isolation facility and the surge in COVID-19 cases would leave them with no choice but to resort to Surge Plan A  and eventually Surge Plan B.

“Pag wala naman kayong gagawin sa labas, huwag na kayong lumabas,  para hindi na kayo mahawa o makahawa. Kailangan ng disiplina para hindi na makadagdag sa pagtaas ng kaso. Hindi siguro ninyo gugustuhin na maisara ang ospital (R1MC)  para maging COVID hospital but if worse comes to worst, ito ang nasa plano,” Dr. Mejia said during the press conference on Friday, August 20.

Mejia said Surge Plan A would be to close some services and departments of the hospital like the Out-Patient Department (OPD) for the staff to attend to COVID patients. 

In the worst-case scenario, Surge Plan B would be to close the hospital to normal operations and become a full-time COVID hospital. This would mean, R1MC would no longer be accepting patients with other kinds of diseases and those scheduled for operations, dialysis and other services.

When this happens, non-COVID patients would be referred to other local or private hospitals. The 300-bed capacity R1MC would then be devoted to COVID patients only, the center chief added.

“Kaya nga nakikiusap tayo sa ating mga kababayan. Educate people at sabihin sa kanila na ang  transmission (ng virus) ay mabilis. Our risk classification is now on Alert Level 4 . We urge barangay councils  to be very strict  at sa ating mga kababayan, maging maingat tayong lahat at huwag matigas ang ulo (sa pagsunod),” Dr. Mejia added.

Meanwhile, Dr. Arnel Gerard Gazmen, chief of medical professional staff and Dr. Cesar Guico, chief of clinics, reminded the public that everyone has a role in helping the government. 

“May ceiling sa kung ilan ang kayang i-accommodate ng hospital. Let us do our share in helping the government,” Dr. Gazmen said.

R1MC is the Department of Health’s catchment area for emerging  and re-emerging infectious diseases which serves Pangasinan and other neighboring provinces. 

Meanwhile, Governor Amado Espino III  met with the COVID-19 Management Team on Thursday to tackle more stringent measures in border control points of the province, hospital situations and the necessary preparations not only for COVID-19 but also for the other variants that are now present in the country. 

As of August 19,  the province of Pangasinan recorded 97 new confirmed cases broken down into Pangasinan with 62 and Dagupan City with 35. One new death was also recorded.  New recovered patients number to 60 while the over-all total active cases is listed at 1,169. (JCR/VHS/PIAPangasinan)