Noveleta, Cavite. – The local government here formally opened its first public hospital amid the severe coronavirus epidemic on May 2, Saturday.
Mayor Dino Reyes Chua together with Ms. April Rose Pascua, RN. MAN, Development Management Officer IV Department of Health (DoH) Center for Health Development, Municipal Health Officer Dr. Hilda Bucu and other local officials lead the inauguration of P15 million worth Noveleta MedCare Hospital as a COVID 19 Care Facility.
The town has no recorded COVID 19 cases for the past three weeks according to Municipal Health Officer Dr. Hilda Bucu.
The hospital can accomodate around 15 patients in the emergency area with 25 medical staffs from doctor, nurses, nursing aides, utilities, security guards and ambulance drivers and safety officer all in shifting operation.
The two-storey building was erected on 1,000 square meters property in Barangay San Jose 1 donated by Mayor Chua last April 3, 2017 across Municipal Hall and Public Market of historic Ilang Ilang river.
The escalation of the cases was prevented by the intense local government program here under the leadership of local chief executive Dino Chua and Local Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Unit head Jeg Alix.
The LGU continues disenfection in the whole locality to prevent spreading the virus and distributing relief packs to 15,000 families, including the spaghetti fiesta packs as Barangays San Jose 1 and II were cerebrating their feast day May 1.
"There have been no reported COVID 19 positive cases in town for past three weeks," Dr. Hilda Bucu said.
The three positive cases – 58 years old, male and 53 years old, female both from San Jose 1 and 31 years old, female from San Rafael 2 – all tested negative and all out of danger and now under 14 days monitoring.
The hospital was erected through funds from DoH (P5 Million) and Php 10 Million from LGU and will cater to mild, probable and severe cases.
"We will be operational on May 3, Monday and well equiped from Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and other needs for Covid cases. Each room has TV, wifi, CR, and sanitation kits." Dr. Nilda Bucu said.
"We have 8 hour duty nurses, nursing aides, utilities, security guards and ambulance drivers in three shifts," Dr. Bucu added.
Mayor Chua also returned his January to December 2019 salary worth P1.2 million to buy relief goods to feed his 15,000 constituents in time of crisis. Chua also donated his whole year salary for year 2020 to buy food.
Senator Bong Revilla also distributed sacks of rice to the locality last April 29 together with Vice Governor Jolo Revilla.
