A new building facility inside the Mati National Comprehensive High School is being eyed as Mati City’s designated area for the Persons Under Investigation (PUI) in the event the number of PUIs increase.

City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Charlemagne C. Bagasol said MNCHS is now being prepared and equipped.

Incident Management Team on Covid-19 head Dr. Ben Hur Catbagan Jr. said on Friday that they will build divisions in the said facility and will provide beds and ventilations as well as running water and power.

This is in compliance to the directive of Regional Task Force Covid-19 head and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte for all LGUs to setup their own PUI facilities to cater to the growing number of PUIs all over the region.

The same facility would also serve as the designated Covid-19 exclusive health center for triage/assessment. This is to reduce the exposure of the public to the virus.

As of March 19, PUIs in the Davao Region registered at 96 with three deaths. The PUMs meanwhile numbered to 5,403. The number of confirmed case of Covid-19 infection however remains at 1 with the patient said to be on a stable condition.

In the City of Mati, PUIs remain pegged at 4 while the PUMs already totaled to 182 as of 4pm of March 20.

Dr. Catbagan said it may take several days for them to fully-equip the PUI designated facility. Adding that there are other buildings within the city that may be used once the MNCHS facility is already full.

During Friday’s press conference with Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat, Catbagan said that the problem on Covid-19 might last longer than a month.

Ma Bell Fontillas, officer-in-charge of the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), meanwhile stated that the food and financial assistance for PUI and PUMs are already being prepared and they are just waiting for the final list from City Health Office.

CSWDO said that they can distribute it by barangay or by household depending on the availability of manpower. (CIO MATI