The City of Bacolod has set the guidelines in allowing hospital-supervised home isolation for asymptomatic, mild, or moderate cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

“Hospital-supervised home isolation for patients will help decongest hospital beds and ensure professional medical care and generate income opportunities for medical professionals,” Mayor Evelio Leonardia said in Executive Order 28, series of 2021 dated May 26, but released on Thursday.

In coming up with the guidelines, Leonardia cited the national Inter-Agency Task Force Resolution 74 issued on Sept. 24, 2020, which states that “for confirmed asymptomatic and mild Covid -19 cases, facility-based isolation shall be required, except when the patient is considered vulnerable or having comorbidities and that his/her home meets the conditions specified in Joint Administrative Order 2020-0001″

Joint Administrative Order 2020-0001 is the guidelines issued by the Departments of Health and the Interior and Local Government on local isolation and general treatment areas for Covid-19 cases and the community-based management of mild patients.

Based on the guidelines, only medical institutions may apply for accreditation through the Emergency Operations Center Task Force (EOC-TF).

They will be required to present guidelines and procedures, costs, and other necessary details for home-based patient care, including provisions for adequate medical personnel to attend to daily patient monitoring, diagnostic procedures, medication, daily visits, or web-based consultation.

Each accredited institution is required to have immediate bed availability for home-based patient care in case of disease progression, including patient transport.

Under the hospital-supervised home isolation, each patient admitted will be managed by or assigned a physician who will monitor patient condition, assess, evaluate and/or discharge the patient as appropriate.

Hospitals are required to create provisions for the management of infectious waste of patients as well.

It is also required that the hospital-patient relationship will apply in any detail arising after patient admission to the program.

Coordination for approval of dwelling for admission/inclusion in the hospital-supervised home isolation program will be made with the Barangay Council exercising jurisdiction over the patient’s address, and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, which will endorse approval to the EOC-TF.

The possible patient abode/dwelling must satisfy the necessary checklist, but if the patient’s dwelling circumstances do not meet the conditions for home isolation, such services may be availed in accredited hotels/pensions/inns, and costs relative to admission will be at the patient’s own expense.

The barangay will be responsible for “sealing” the area admitted for hospital-supervised home isolation.

As of May 27, Bacolod has 9,243 confirmed Covid-19 cases, including 1,135 active cases; 7,855 recoveries; and 253 deaths, data from the Department of Health-Western Visayas showed. (PNA)