By Joseph B.A. Marzan
Portions of Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Mandurriao, Iloilo City were locked down on Aug 4, 2020 after a patient tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
In an interview with Bombo Radyo Iloilo, WVMC chief Joseph Dean Nicolo confirmed that the hospital’s OB Complex comprised of the Obstetrics (OB) Emergency Room, Delivery Room, OB Ward, and Gynecology, Eyes-Nose-Throat, and Ophthalmology (GEO) ward was closed.
This, after a female patient who gave birth on July 31 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, on Aug 3.
The patient, a 42-year-old female, was rushed to the delivery room on July 31, and underwent Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) after giving birth.
“Last Friday evening, a 42-year-old female was admitted and directed to the delivery room because she was about to give birth already. Because we already have a routine of swabbing our patients, we tested her, and [on Monday] she tested positive, that’s why we temporarily closed [the OB complex] for decontamination, contact tracing of staff, other patients, and other persons who were exposed to her. Because she was [direct to delivery room], we weren’t able to properly get her history,” Nicolo said.
Nicolo added that the patient was asymptomatic.
This is the third time that parts of the WVMC were closed because of COVID-19. The first lockdown affected the orthopedic ward on July 3, and the radiology department and two other wards on July 15.
As of this writing, 21 people have been identified as close contacts of the patient. They will also undergo RT-PCR testing along with the new-born baby, according to Nicolo.
The hospital chief also said that the delivery and emergency rooms may reopen as early as today or Thursday, but he did not state when the OB and GEO wards will reopen.
“Right now, the delivery and emergency rooms are being heavily decontaminated and cleaned, and probably by tomorrow or early Thursday may already reopen. The wards, until patients can be discharged, are still under decontamination and cleaning. The OB ward has 35 patients, while the gynecology ward has 19 patients still admitted,” he said.
Nicolo said that for now, they are not admitting patients to the new OB complex, but they have identified an alternative area in case the delivery room remains under lockdown.
“We are not receiving [patients], but for extreme emergencies, we have an area where we can bring them to, especially when the infant is about to come out. There is an area already planned out in case there would be a lockdown, where we could bring them for deliveries. There is also an area where we can admit them. As much as possible, we’ve limited admitting new patients,” he added.
