Fire incident forces PGH to suspend some operations
MANILA, Philippines — A number of operations at the Philippine General Hospital were suspended on Sunday following the fire that hit the facility early this morning.
Dr. Jonas del Rosario, PGH spokesperson, told DZBB that hospital admissions are currently on halt as a result of the incident.
"Our appeal for now is that PGH will be closed in the meantime to admit anyone," he said in Filipino. "We have a lot of patients from the pay hospital who were transferred to our emergency room. We have a new ER and they are there, so it won't be open starting today."
The fire hit PGH's third floor and reached second alarm. Authorities declared fire out by 5:41 a.m., and no casualties or injuries were reported.
Still, some 12 infants had to be transferred to other hospitals as well as other patients. Photos this morning also showed patients staying at the PGH chapel.
LOOK | The Philippine General Hospital’s chapel became an instant evacuation site for pediatric patients and new born babies after fire broke through the facility earlier this morning, forcing COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients to be evacuated.
— ONE News PH (@onenewsph) May 16, 2021
????: Fr. Marlito G. Ocon, SJ pic.twitter.com/JSlLDVE4Ty
Del Rosario said they are now looking to return patients after the fire.
"We hope this will be fixed as soon as possible," he said. "I think tomorrow will already be a long time."
PGH's neurosurgery department said it has cancelled its scheduled operations in the coming days due to the incident.
"We are asking for patience, understanding and prayers," it said in a Twitter post.
UP Manila in a post said the PGH Blood Donor Center will not be accepting donors today. Its molecular laboratory will also not be receiving outpatient swabbing until further notice.
In an exchange with Philstar.com, Del Rosario said too that all elective operations in the hospital were suspended.
The cause of the fire including the cost of damage has yet to be determined.
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