Sole Opposition Councilor Wilson “Jun” Gamboa Jr., has reiterated his demand for the Bacolod City Government to re-allocate the 800 million fund to build a “Bacolod Coliseum” and erect as soon as possible adequate make-shift hospitals and negatively-pressurized isolation facilities accredited by the Department of Health (DoH) & Phil Health. Such demand was remarekd during interviews concerning a COVID-19 Patient who died of cardiac arrest in his residence after no hospital would admit him.

“The Bacolod City Government is unresponsive of its people’s cry for help. Hospitals now are refusing admission because their isolation facilities are overwhelmed, health workers are exhausted or afraid therefore they resign.”

Councillor Gamboa on the dire situation of Bacolod’s healthcare system and the City Government’s response

As of publication, Bacolod has reported 531 confirmed positive cases from the partial results released by Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran on his Faceboook page.

City Government’s response

The bereaved opposition councilor stated that mass testing is ineffective in the reduction of cases without adequate and clinically managed isolation facilities to accommodate those found confirmed positive.

“Consistent with my manifestation on the floor during our Sangguniang Panglunsod (SP) regular session last August 25, 2020, the solution is to build adequate make-shift hospitals. This will unload our hospitals and therefore would readily admit critical to severe patients only. Funds intended for the Coliseum or other infrastructure projects which are unnecessary at this time can be diverted to finance these projects.

Councillor Gamboa on his suggestions to the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod City

Hospitals in Bacolod City are currently overwhelmed, according to comments made by healthcare officials from the establishments of Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Hopsital and Doctor’s Hospital

A position letter from the Philippine College of Physicians Negros Occidental Chapter sent last August 26, 2020 had requested for the building of a dedicated COVID-19 fully equip hospital, financial aid for hemodialysis centers, & adequate supply of hospital beds and other essential equipment.

Emergency hiring of trained health workers and doctors to serve in these make shift facilities along with adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), appropriate salary schemes, and isolation dormitories for their board and lodging were among other suggestions from the opposition councilor and healthcare professionals of the city.

Can Bacolod Afford Such Project?

Gamboa added that the coliseum budget of 800 million can be re-appropriated, and stated that Bacolod City has “all the money” to construct concrete DOH-certified facilities to support severe cases, stating this can help curb the resignation of health workers due to over-stress of the healthcare system of the city

“I envy the COVID-19 free City of Dumaguete that constructed in 60 days, a P46 million 34-negative pressurized room fully equip concrete isolation facility from their P98 million Bayanihan Act fund. They are quite transparent about it!”

Gamboa referencing a similar project taking place in the nieghboring city of Dumaguete in Negros Oriental

Gamboa also explained that with all the money the City of Bacolod has, a negative pressurized room concrete facility accredited by DOH and PhilHealth can be built to support hospitals with severe cases and with such type of a safe facility, probability of health worker resignation can be significantly reduced.

He also explained that procuring medicine supplies of Remdisivir according to the World Health Organization, as well as other COVID-19 related medicine is essential for self-medication in home with prescription by a certified professional.

Tracing the coronavirus

Beyond the aforementioned suggestions, it was also remarked that the Bacolod City government should conduct mapping of its 61 barangays in analyzing suspect, probable, and confirmed cases in a color-coded fashion.

An expanded testing application together with massive RT-PCR (Swab) Testing, and inventory of number of beds in quarantine facilities, ICU beds for indigents, & sufficiency of equipment & medicine were also data that Gamboa reiterated should be noted by the government and transparently presented to the public.