Preparing for your baby’s arrival can be an overwhelming task. You’ll be filled with both excitement and worry as you strive to deliver your baby as safely as possible. Top hospital in the Philippines Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed) understands how you feel, especially now that there’s a global pandemic.
That’s why the hospital has its strict “Always Safe” protocols and practices to keep you and your baby safe, comfortable, and well on your way to living a “Healthy Normal”.
“MakatiMed has state-of-the-art delivery and operating room (OR) suites that are especially designed for an expecting mom’s needs. The healthcare providers include obstetric, anesthesiology, and pediatric consultants. They are ably assisted by the residents and nurses who are all highly experienced in labor, delivery, and newborn care,” says Ramon T. Reyles, MD, OB GYN Consultant at MakatiMed.
Moms who are delivering their babies soon, are required by their doctors to undergo the Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) swab test prior to admission. This is usually done at 38 weeks. It may be done sooner if your doctor deems that you can go into labor earlier.
You are then asked to go on quarantine after a negative swab until your admission to prevent any contact with a COVID-19 positive individual. If you haven’t been tested for COVID-19 but are already experiencing labor, you will be taken care of in the Delivery Room red zone. The red zone has an examination and observation area where women with no COVID-19 test results yet are seen. If you show symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19, you are going to be examined, undergo labor and deliver in the Infection Control Treatment Rooms inside the complex.
All the hospital staff in the Red zone wear level 3 Personal Protective equipment (PPE) in compliance with the hospital protocol to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Personnel in the Infection Control and Treatment Rooms wear the space-suit looking Level 4 PPE that is complete with its own air supply.
Moms with negative RT-PCR results are assigned to the green zone. This area is the other half of the Delivery Room Complex. All healthcare workers undergo a daily COVID-19 screening process and are provided with quality personal protective equipment (PPE) for their safety and safety of the patients during delivery.
Babies delivered in MakatiMed’s C.P. Manahan Complex are evaluated by the Pediatric consultants and residents from the Newborn Services. Included in the pool of Pediatric specialists are the Neonatologists who are highly dedicated in the care of premature babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). They are the ones who work wonders in saving the lives of very small prematures who are unfortunate to be born too soon.
“I’m sure that expecting moms have a lot of concerns and fears on their minds especially during this time of the pandemic. Be assured that in MakatiMed, the facilities, and services that we provide cover these concerns and fears. We are here to care”, says Dr. Reyles.
For more information, please contact MakatiMed On-Call at +632 8888 8999, email mmc@makatimed.net.ph, or visit www.makatimed.net.ph.