The Tagbilaran Maternity and Children’s Hospital (TMCH) was temporarily closed starting Monday after a child who was identified as a contact of a COVID-19 positive person was admitted at the hospital without full disclosure of his exposure.

According to TMCH medical director Dr. Lester Balagonsa, they immediately disinfected the entire facility after they were informed by the Tagbilaran City Health Office that their patient, a 5-year-old boy, is the brother of the 13-year-old boy who tested positive for COVID-19 last week.

The patient’s cousin also tested positive for the disease earlier this month prompting health authorities to place the entire family under home quarantine.

“The mother claimed they did not come in contact with someone who is currently a suspected case, positive case for COVID-19 or someone who has recent travel history,” Balagonsa said.

The boy was admitted at the hospital after experiencing fever and vomiting on July 19.

After the triage process, the boy was taken to the emergency room for admission with physicians initially considering that he contracted dengue fever and “warning signs.”

“They were roomed in with another patient who had the same impression,” said Balagonsa.

The boy has since been transferred to the Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital which is Bohol’s COVID-19 referral hospital.

According to Balagonsa, the facility will remain closed until the boy yields a negative result in a polymerase chain reaction test for COVID-19.

Employees on duty when the boy was admitted were also quarantined.

However, employees who had left the hospital before knowing that the boy was a contact of a COVID-positive person were able to go home to their families.

“Their respective LGUs were notified and they are now placed on quarantine,” Balagonsa said.

The health official urged the public to observe full disclosure of necessary information during the triaging process to prevent a similar incident. (ad)