BAGUIO CITY – – Understanding early the importance of vaccinating healthcare workers to protect healthcare capacity, 89 percent of theBaguio General Hospital and Medical Center personnel have registered for COVID-19 vaccination.
The BGHMC Public Health Unit reported that based on the vaccination registration activity conducted from February 17 to 20, 89 percent or 2428 of its 2,728 personnel are now in the master list for Covid-19 vaccination. There were four employees who were screened as not eligible while 84 others deferred registration pending medical clearance.
BGHMC is the biggest government hospital in the Cordillera region and functions as the regional referral health facility for COVID – 19 cases especially the severe and critical cases.
The facility is also one of the first to have a certified molecular laboratory for COVID – 19 RT–PCR testing.
Adult Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Thea Pamela Cajulao, in the PIA Cordillera–led Kapihan media forum Wednesday reported that from March 1, 2020 up todate (February 24), BGHMC recorded 1,156 patients where 1,038 already recovered, 87 died, 1 discharged (DAMA) and 30 currently admitted.
Of the 30 current COVID – 19 patients, six are mild, seven moderate, 16 severe and one critical. There are also 82 suspect cases admitted in BGHMC, Cajulao added.
For the BGHMC Molecular Laboratory, Dr. Amerlito Nuesca reported that from its February 1 to 24 data alone, there were 22,833 test kits processed from Cordillera and 990 from Region 1.
The BGHMC molecular lab continues to work at maximum capacity and no backlog with three RT–PCR machines and adequate manpower working up to a maximum of 1,000 tests per day, Nuesca said.
Cajulao outlined that with BGHMC being the primary government hospital in the Cordillera and having the biggest number of personnel, mostly frontliners, among the health facilities in the region, the high support for the COVID – 19 vaccination program will be very beneficial, not only for their health workers that are on high risk for infection because of the multiple exposures at work, but also for safer and more efficient delivery of public health services. **JDP/CCD-PIA CAR
