Bicol hospital closes out-patient section to prepare for COVID surge, offers teleconsultation
ONE of the main government-owned hospitals in Bicol is temporarily closing its out-patient department starting Jan. 12 and moving consultation services to its telemedicine facility in preparation for another surge of coronavirus cases.
The Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital (BRTTH) issued an advisory late Monday saying that it will not accept “all walk-in and referred patients” beginning Wednesday as it anticipates “another possible surge of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) cases due to highly infectious Omicron variant.”
“All patients seeking OPD (Out-Patient Department) consult are advised to contact the BRTTH Telehealth Project for appropriate guidance and counselling on their specific health-related concerns.”
The telehealth service maybe accessed through mobile phone or its Facebook page.
BRTTH, located in Legazpi City in Albay province, is a tertiary-level hospital with an official bed capacity of 250, but can operate with up to 450 beds.
Bicol Region had 1,553 active coronavirus cases as of Jan. 10 out of the total 53,204, based on data from the Department of Health’s COVID-19 tracker site.
Of the active cases, 365 were in Albay, including 43 new patients recorded on Jan. 10.
The province has so far recorded 11,184 confirmed cases, with 299 deaths and 10,520 recoveries. — MSJ
