25 March 2020 – The city government has obtained the consent of the owners of Sto. Niño Hospital, a 36-bed capacity medical facility along P. Burgos St. which ceased operations in 2009 to serve as Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) treatment facility.
Mayor Benjie Magalong said he, Dr. Willy Occidental and City Administrator Bonifacio Dela Peña met with the hospital owners who benevolently agreed to the city’s use of the facility for free.
The city intends to use the facility as exclusive critical care unit for COVID-19 patients to segregate them from non-COVID patients and free the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center and other hospitals from contamination risks.
Dela Peña said barangay officials led by punong barangay Bonifacio Bustos expressed support to the plan and agreed to help the city gain the consent of the community for the noble intention.
Doctors and experts on infectious diseases have assured that the facility will be protected and contained to avoid danger to the community.
Preparations for the operationalization of the facility started today with the St. Louis University Hospital of the Sacred Heart headed by Medical Director Dr. Paul Adlai B. Quitiquit as the lead group.
They will conduct a site visit to assess its capacity for intensive care unit, operating room, dialysis and deliveries and other needs in terms of equipment, manpower and supplies.
Facilities and manpower will again be pooled from the various hospitals, the Dept. of Health and the city government.
A massive clean-up of the building was also conducted by the city government with the Baguio City Police Office trainees and personnel from the City Building and Architecture Office, City Environment and Parks Management Office, City Tourism Operations Office and the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office. **Aileen P. Refuerzo
