The Department of Health today announced the public-private partnership of The Medical City (TMC) and Pasig City Children’s Hospital (PCCH) where “moderate” COVID-19 cases will be transferred to the PCCH so that more advanced facilities in TMC can be used to attend to severe cases.

During the DOH’s daily Beat COVID-19 virtual presser, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire and TMC CEO Dr. Eugenio Jose F. Ramos discussed how TMC will serve as the acute care center for severe COVID cases while the PCCH’s 63-bed capacity will take care of mild to moderate adult cases. 

Meanwhile, staffing adjustments will also be made to facilitate the arrangement. The pediatrics staff of PCCH will be transferred to other hospitals for non-COVID cases. Adult medical doctor frontliners from other Pasig hospitals will be asked to be part of the PCCH, which will be designated as the Pasig City COVID Hospital.

“Many of our hospitals expressed interest in replicating this partnership in their areas,” Usec. Vergeire said, thanking the private sector for their unstinting support to the government’s efforts against COVID-19.  

Meanwhile, the DOH also appealed to the public not to discriminate against those patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 and our healthcare workers.

“Nalulungkot po kami kapag nakakarinig ng mga kwento ng ating mga positive cases, kasama na rin ang ating exposed healthcare workers, na nakakaranas ng diskriminasyon at stigma. Gusto ko lamang pong sabihin sa lahat, pakiusap, huwag mamahiya ng mga taong may COVID-19,” Usec. Vergeire said.

The DOH warned that discrimination and the stigma against patients may encourage people to hide being COVID-positive, which would in turn compromise the country’s efforts towards effective case isolation and treatment.

As today marks Palm Sunday, the start of the Holy Week for Christians, the DOH also gave advice on how to observe the Holy Week without compromising one’s health in accordance with prescribed social distancing measures.

The DOH advised families to engage in activities that observe physical distancing, such as hearing masses or church services online; after all, one can be physically apart but spiritually close with one another.