By Mark Fetalco
The occupancy rate of the temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMF) in Metro Manila, considered to be the epicenter of the Coronavirus infection in the country, has already reached 78%.
The Department of Health (DOH) reported this on Friday as it continuously logs a surge of new cases with a new all-time high yesterday at 8,773.
According to Treatment Czar Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega, the high occupancy rate in TTMFs is simultaneous with the rising admission rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) hospitals.
“Mayroong mild cases na naaadmit sa hospitals kaya tumataas admission rate nila. At kasalukuyan po ang mga TTMF natin, ang isolation centers, nasa 78% na po ang kanilang occupancy (There are mild cases being admitted in hospitals so their admission rates are going up. And currently, our TTMFs, isolation centers are now at 78% occupancy),” he revealed in an online forum.
USec. Vega disclosed that the utilization rate of intensive care units across the country is nearing the threshold of moderate risk while Makati, Quezon City, Taguig and Manila are at critical risk.
Given this situation, the DOH is increasing the number of bed capacity, looking for isolation hotels or setting up additional modular hospitals.
These include the 110-bed facility at the Quezon Institute for moderate and severe cases, another 110-bed facility at the Lung Center of the Philippines and a 44-bed isolation facility in front of Batangas Medical Center.
“So all in all we will have, for the modular hospitals, we will almost have 350 to 380 beds all in all,” Vega detailed.
The health department will maximize the regional one hospital command in Regions 3 and 4A in case hospitals in NCR get overwhelmed.
Vega assured the augmentation of healthcare workers continues as part of the agency’s support for these hospitals.
“This January hanggang ngayon, nakapaghire kami ng augmented healthcare workers na mga 2,000 plus dito sa Metro Manila (This January to the present, we hired around 2,000 plus augmented healthcare workers here in Metro Manila),” he shared.
Meanwhile, Vega revealed the number of calls at the One Hospital Command Center increased to 300 calls a day from an average of 66 in the previous month.
“We are swamped with many calls and we don’t have the technology of call forwarding. Sometimes ang cellphones namin (of ours), they keep on ringing because it takes time for an agent to provide the medical directions,” he added.
For the meantime, the DOH is trying to activate its COVID Hotline 1555.
