Sarangani converts China’s rehab center into PUI facility

ALABEL, Sarangani, Apr. 4 – Sarangani has retrofitted part of the Dangerous Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center that China built in Alabel town to be its isolation facility for COVID-19 patients under investigation (PUIs).

As of Friday, Engr. Gerald Faciol, assistant provincial administrator, assessed the renovation to be already 95% complete.

He said protocols on the admission of patients are now being drafted.

Sarangani is still free from COVID-19 but according to Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon he has to “tighten measures” to deter the disease’s entry.

As of April 2, the Provincial Health Office reported the following: Confirmed Cases (Tested Positive) = 0, Specimen Collected – 9, Tested Negative – 7, Pending Results – 2.

Patient Under Investigation (PUI): No. of New Cases – 0, Admitted in Hospital – 2, Discharged from Hospital – 7, At Home PUI – 17, TOTAL PUI = 26.

PUI details per LGU: Alabel – 1, Glan – 5, Kiamba – 5, Maasim – 3, Maitum – 2, Malapatan – 5, Malungon – 5.

Persons Under Monitoring (PUM): No. of New Cases – 10, Ongoing 14 days Quarantine – 79, Completed 14 days Quarantine – 695, Total PUM = 774.

Details per LGU: Alabel - 167 (ongoing 14 days quarantine 26), Glan - 171 (15), Kiamba - 93 (17), Maasim - 75 (10), Maitum - 46 (1), Malapatan - 98 (0), Malungon - 124 (10).

Now, Sarangani has technically locked down its borders.

Malungon Mayor Maria Theresa Constantino strictly imposed the lockdown on the entry of people coming from Davao City and part of Davao Occidental region.

Maitum Mayor Alexander Bryan Reganit and Glan Mayor Vivien Yap likewise enforced the same policy on the entry from Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat and nearby areas; and from the adjacent Davao Occidental areas to Glan.

In Executive Order 10 that Governor Solon released on March 28, he placed the entire Sarangani under Enhanced Community Quarantine directing people to “stay at home”. He also imposed stricter policies on travel restrictions, anti-hoarding, and physical distancing.

It was Sarangani that raised the alarm in Region 12 about a PUM case when four Chinese nationals arrived in a beach resort in Gumasa, Glan on February 2.

“That actually gave us semblance on what to do” in case there would be cases of COVID-19 in Sarangani, Solon said.

The Chinese nationals completed the mandatory quarantine in the China-built facility which is being refurbished now to accommodate 10 patients with five beds each room for females and another for males.

According to Dr. Arvin Alejandro, provincial health officer, a barrier is installed in between beds.

Inspection and control measures, he said, will be established like installing a disinfection tent.

“Just in case the number of PUIs will surge,” the next contingency plan, Dr. Alejandro said, is to utilize the Sarangani Health Care Facility inside the Capitol compound which could accommodate up to 30 patients.

Dr. Alejandro said the PHO already has the list of barangay isolation units and municipal isolation units to anticipate needs for isolation of PUMs and PUIs with mild symptoms.

The P350-million China-funded drug rehabilitation center was inaugurated and turned over to the local government in December 2018. This 150-bed capacity rehab center sits on a hill at Barangay Kawas, overlooking Sarangani Bay and General Santos City, and adjacent to the Provincial Police Office. (Beverly C. Paoyon/SARANGANI PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE) 

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