Covid-19 confirmed Bilibid inmate referred to RITM

FILE: New Bilibid Prison (Photo By Jovie Naval via Bureau of Corrections/Website)

MANILA – The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Thursday said it has referred to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) a male person deprived of liberty (PDL) who has tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

In a statement, the BuCor said the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City is assessing its implementation of operational plans after the patient from the national penitentiary’s Medium Security Compound was checked at the NBP Hospital on April 17 and was referred to the RITM on the same day.

As a precautionary measure, the BuCor did contact tracing and has put 40 PDLs in isolated areas.

Meanwhile, medical staff members who attended to the patient are also considered as suspect cases and are now under quarantine.

The BuCor added that PDLs earlier identified as having been exposed to the patient and who were subsequently isolated were finally transferred to the bigger quarantine area at “Site Harry” where they will be monitored more effectively while waiting to be tested for Covid-19.

Prison medical staff members are now providing focused medical care to all suspect cases.

Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete, meanwhile, said the quarantine area within the NBP has already been set up with 300 beds.

“We are coordinating with DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) for the construction of a bigger quarantine area just in case there is a need for it,” Perete said.

He added that the Department of Health has committed an initial 10,000 test kits for PDLs.