The Department of Health (DOH) assured the country still has sufficient hospital capacity for COVID-19 patients amid the increase in the number of reported cases in the past weeks.
Based on the COVID-19 tracker of the DOH, the nationwide hospital bed occupancy as of March 6 is at 32.2 percent while the occupancy in the National Capital Region is at 44.6 percent. A “timeout” for health workers in response to the situation is not yet recommended. The said measure was implemented last August when cases reached over 5,000 per day.
“Hindi pa natin nakikita ‘yung ganitong klaseng intervention. Kami ay nakipag-usap na sa iba’t-ibang ahensya, at sa ibang ospital, at sa ating local gov’t officials (We do not see this kind of intervention yet. We have talked with other agencies, hospitals, and local gov’t officials),” DOH USec. Maria Rosario Vergeire shared.
Some hospitals in NCR have been reporting an increase in COVID-19 patient admission, including the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) which has a 72 percent hospital bed occupancy or 102 of 140 beds in use. The Lung Center of the Philippines has 78 percent.
PGH is still accepting patients but limited only to emergency cases. It is now appealing with the DOH to distribute patients to other hospitals in case of high occupancy rate.
“It’s not true we’re being overrun by COVID patients. It’s that na-overrun kami ng non-COVID patients nitong mga nakaraang buwan kaya ngayon mag-a-adjust lang po kami ulit (It’s that we were overrun by non-COVID patients in the past months that is why we are adjusting),” PGH Dir. Dr. Gap Legaspi clarified.
The One Hospital Command and Oplan Kalinga have been intensified to respond to the situation to prevent full occupancy of hospitals.
– Report from Mark Fetalco
