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MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte could tap from the Presidential Social Fund (PSF) to help repair the damage caused by fire that hit the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), Malacañang said on Monday.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this statement after authorities said the fire, which broke out early Sunday morning, destroyed an estimated PHP300,000 worth of property.
Roque asked PGH Director Dr. Gerardo “Gap” Legaspi to just inform the Palace about what the hospital needed, adding that Duterte would surely provide enough assistance.
He also recalled how Duterte previously gave PGH a check worth PHP100 million in March 2017 for the hospital’s poor patients who could not afford medical procedures and treatments.
“Doc Legaspi, kung anong kailangan niyo, sabihin niyo lang. Because dati na siya nag-offer ng mas malaking halaga so kung anong kinakailangan ngayon para ma-repair ang mga damage, puwede po i-tap yung Presidential Social Fund dahil ‘yan po ay dati na pong inoffer sa PGH (Doc Legaspi, whatever you need, just tell us. The President already offered a large amount in the past so whatever you need to repair the damage, we could tap from the Presidential Social Fund because that has been offered to the PGH in before),” Roque said in a Palace press briefing.
Roque said Duterte has directed National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. and NTF deputy chief implementer and testing czar Vince Dizon to visit PGH and check on the extent of the fire damage.
He said he also ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPH) to immediately start repairs on damaged portions of the PGH’s central block building.
“Pinapunta niya kaagad ang ating NTF, si Secretary Galvez, Secretary Vince na nanggaling na po diyan sa PGH. At siyempre po top priority ng DPWH yung pagre-repair ng mga damage sa PGH dahil nga kinikilala natin na ang PGH talaga is not only the premier teaching hospital in the country but also importante po sa buhay ng mga mahihirap na Pilipino (He asked the NTF to visit, Secretary Galvez and Secretary Vince have already been to PGH. And of course, it will be the DPWH’s top priority to repair damages at the PGH because PGH is not only the premier teaching hospital in the country but also important in the lives of poor Filipinos),” he added.
Reports showed that the fire started at the operating room sanitization area at the third floor of PGH’s central block building.
Legaspi said initial findings showed that the faulty electrical wiring caused the fire that reached the first alarm at 12:41 a.m. and was raised to the second level at 12:58 a.m.
The Bureau of Fire Protection-National Capital Region (BFP-NCR) said the blaze was declared under control at 2:46 a.m. and was put out at 5:41 a.m.
Currently, PGH’s emergency room and some laboratory services were closed following the fire.
No casualties or injuries were reported from the blaze.
The PGH is the country’s largest Covid-19 referral center. At present, the hospital has 148 Covid-19 patients, while its Covid-19 bed capacity remains at 250. (PNA)
