Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar on Tuesday vowed to build more quarantine facilities and modular hospitals for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients, and off-site dormitories for health workers.

In a virtual briefing with Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Villar, also the country’s isolation czar said they are looking to build 15 units of modular hospitals with a bed capacity of over 500 before the end of April.

“By the end of this month, we will have 512 and by next month, we will be building additional, at least nationwide additional. Almost 300 will be operational by next month. So, there will be a big improvement in our critical utilization [capacity] and we will not stop building modular facilities,” he said.

Villar said as of Monday, the country has a total of 634 quarantine isolation facilities nationwide with a bed capacity of 23,284.

There are also 60 off-site dormitories for 1,456 health workers as well as 11 converted existing buildings of the Department of Health (DOH) with a 1,003 bed capacity, he said.

“So by the end of the month, we will have 720 units and with a bed capacity of 26,259,” he added.

He also reported that the five units of modular hospital with a 110 bed capacity have recently been turned over to the DOH.

“We have one unit at the Lung Center of the Philippines, which has been completed and at the Jose Rodriguez with a 22-bed capacity. We also have ongoing projects, which are set to be completed within the month, one at the NKTI (National Kidney Transplant Institute) for 60-bed capacity; and two units in Batangas City for 44,” he said.

Villar added that the other projects which are also ongoing and set to be completed next month are two units with a 44 bed capacity, at the Quezon Institute, five units with 110 bed capacity at the Lung Center of the Philippines, two units with a 44 bed capacity at the Southern Philippine Medical Center, and one unit each at the Quirino Medical Center, Ospital ng Maynila and Pasig City General Hospital, with 22 bed capacity each.

“We will continue to identify new areas and within the month and next month we will see a very significant increase in our hospital and ICU capacity,” he added. (PNA)