MANILA -- Engineering and infrastructure conglomerate Megawide fielded volunteer employees and subcontractors to build emergency patient care centers (PCCs) that will help decongest major hospitals in Metro Manila dealing with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases.
Megawide volunteers, including engineers, electricians, plumbers, and carpenters, helped construct PCCs, designed by architect William Ti of WTA Architecture and Design Studio, at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) and the Fe Del Mundo Medical Center (FDMMC).
Megawide is also building PCC units for Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital (DJNRMH) and Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC).
Eric Tan, Megawide Deputy Chief for Construction, said the PCCs are part of the company’s efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
“Three of our core values are Teamwork, Malasakit, and Community. We are always ready and more than happy to lend a helping hand especially in times like these,” he said in a statement Monday.
Tan added their staff have committed to volunteer for a total of 12 days to build the PCCs, and finished construction of those for FDMMC and NKTI on Day 5 while targeting to complete construction for the DJNRMH and CSMC PCCs by Day 10.
A project of WTA Architecture and Design Studio to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed and to help flatten the curve of the pandemic’s growth, each PCC measures 3.1 meters tall, 26 meters long, and six meters wide, and can hold 15 beds and two toilets.
The facilities will be used to accommodate suspect or probable Covid-19 cases who need to be quarantined but can no longer be admitted by hospitals.
Ti said his firm has made the design of the PCCs open source and available online. These are designed for patients and healthcare workers to have different entrances, with doctors having their own external testing box to check patients without having to go inside the quarantine area.
Megawide will also erect additional PCCs in other Metro Manila hospitals in partnership with other organizations.
Meanwhile, Tan said that apart from helping build the PCCs, Megawide, through the Megawide Foundation, has also donated much-needed medical supplies to Covid-exclusive facilities and hospitals in its host communities.
“To date, we have donated alcohol, face masks, face shields, and protective suits to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine General Hospital (PGH), Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, Taytay Emergency Center, San Juan Medical Center, and San Juan de Dios Hospital. We have also donated a disinfection chamber to the Quezon City government,” he said.
The Foundation is set to distribute more donations, including sanitation tents, to additional facilities in the coming days. (PR)
