BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya: Another provincial government-managed hospital in the province has also suspended its outpatient services due to the sudden surge of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in this upland town.
Dr. Lucena Laliray Caldito, Kasibu Municipal Hospital chief, has released an advisory on Thursday afternoon temporarily suspending their outpatient services as a result of this town and neighboring towns racing against time with the surge of the dreaded Covid-19 disease.
“The [Kasibu Municipal Hospital] is beyond its maximum capacity with 30 hospital beds dedicated to Covid-19 positive patients,” Caldito said.
She said the general ward of the hospital is in full occupancy and most of the time with increased admission of ob-gyn cases.
“[However], the emergency services will still be open,” she said advising the public to go directly to other nearest healthcare facilities for outpatient consultation.
Reportedly having a large number of its population belonging to different religious sects that resist vaccination, this town has been among the 15 municipalities experiencing a surge in the number of confirmed positive cases.
On Thursday, the town has recorded 78 confirmed Covid cases which doubled the number of active cases to 178.
On Wednesday, the Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Hospital (NVPH) and Diadi Emergency Hospital (DEH) have temporarily suspended their outpatient and inpatient services respectively until further announcement.
According to Gov. Carlos Padilla, the provincial government has established five LGU hospitals spread all over this mountainous province to bring closer to the people, particularly to the indigenous peoples, its health services to far-flung and mountainous areas.
These are the NVPH in Bambang town, KMH in this town, Lt. Tidang Memorial Hospital in Kayapa town, DEH in Diadi town and Dupax District Hospital in Dupax del Norte town.