DPWH constructs more health facilities in 2 QC hospitals

CALOOCAN CITY, July 19 (PIA) — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is helping expedite the construction of additional COVID-19 facilities in two public hospitals located in Quezon City to boost Metro Manila’s coronavirus response.

According to Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar, the DPWH is now assisting the construction of additional health facilities at East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) and Quirino Memorial Medical Center (QMMC).

Villar said that the Department of Health (DOH) and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has requested the DPWH technical expertise to resolve the delayed completion of the two DOH hospital building projects.

The progress of work for the expansion of the two hospitals were checked recently by the Chief Implementer of the National Policy Against COVID-19 Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr., Undersecretary and head of DPWH Task Force to Facilitate Augmentation of Local and National Healthcare Facilities Emil K. Sadain, and Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega.

To expedite completion of the additional COVID-19 health facilities at EAMC, Sadain met on Friday, July 17 the technical staff of OIC Medical Center Chief Dr. Alfonso G. Nuñez III and project contractor E. M Cuerpo Construction and immediately thresh out project issues.

Also present in that meeting are members of the DPWH Task Force namely Bureau of Design Director Aristarco Doroy and Bureau of Construction Assistant Director Edgardo Garces, and DPWH National Capital Region Director Ador Canlas.

The DPWH Task Force will make further review on the plans and programs of the hospital building so we can come up with a catch up scheme that will accelerate the completion of the much-needed medical facilities at EAMC, Sadain said.

With only the 1st and 2nd floors operational, E.M. Cuerpo Construction committed anew to complete the  3rd, 4th and 5th floors by August 15 and 6th floor by end of August.

When fully completed, the new EAMC buiding will have a total capacity of 220 hospital beds for COVID-19 patients.

On the other hand, QMMC Chief Dr. Evelyn Victoria Reside revealed in the same meeting with DPWH that insufficiency of available project funds was the reason why only the first floor of the QMMC hospital building project was completed by contractor NCC Barcelona Construction. 

Sadain has requested the QMMC engineering management to present on next week’s meeting a detailed report of the remaining works including budget estimate to complete 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors and two parking levels at the top floor for possible funding consideration by the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF).

When fully completed, new building project at QMMC will be able to accommodate additional hospital 150 beds for the treatment COVID-19 patients. (PIA NCR)