Medical personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP) will oversee and lead operations at Philippine Sports (PhilSports) Arena or ULTRA (University of Life Training and Recreational Arena) ‘We Heal As One’ Center. This was after Department of Public Works and Highways and Villar Group of Companies turned over the 132-bed capacity COVID-19 facility to the PNP Medical Corps.
Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar said that the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City which was repurposed by DPWH into 132 cubicles with hospital beds was turned-over to the PNP Health Service for the operation and management of this health facility underthe supervision of Department of Health (DOH) and IATF-MEID (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases).
Hospital beds, and medical equipment at PhilSports Arena were donated by Villar Group of Companies.
Secretary Villar with his created DPWH Task Force for Augmentation of Local & National Health Facilities earlier coordinated the repurposing of ULTRA with the Department of Health (DOH) and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), operator of the indoor sporting arena.
The team of workers from the DPWH National Capital Region worked round-the-clock and completed the conversion of ULTRA in a span of only three (3) days.
Secretary Villar said that this only shows the responsiveness of DPWH to the urgency of the present situation to make additional medical treatment facility completed and be operational as soon as possible to accept COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate cases.
It was only last year when PhilSports Arena was renovated and underwent a major facelift as designated venue for men’s and women’s volleyball competition of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games hosted by the Philippines.