The Healthcare Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19 (HPAAC) said several hospitals can no longer respond to the rising cases of COVID-19 due to the current condition of some health facilities.
During the Sept. 3 HPAAC press conference, Philippine College of Physicians President Dr. Maricar Limpin said several patients have been admitted to hospital aisles and parking lots.
“Marami ang hindi na nakakaabot at namamatay na lamang sa mga bahay o sasakyan habang palipat-lipat na naghahanap ng bakanteng kama,” Limpin said.
“Ang layunin namin ay para ipaalam sa tao na lampas na tayo sa kakayahan ng healthcare system. Ipinapaalam din namin na ‘di kami susuko hanggang kaya ng katawan, isip, at puso,” Dr. Antonio Dans of HPAAC said.
The group apologized for turning away patients due to the shortage of COVID-19-dedicated beds. However, they said the utilization of ventilators in the provinces is beginning to get swamped or overwhelmed.
“Ang mga hinaing po ng mga espesyalista sa baga ay ang kakulangan ng mga mechanical ventilators o oxygen sa mga probinsya,” Philippine College of Chest Physicians President Dr. Gregorio Campo said.
Better response
The group said the government should further strengthen its pandemic measures, while pointing out that Department of Health’s (DOH) data do not match actual events on the ground.
They also appealed to the government to provide adequate benefits to their respective healthcare workers, and urged the public to comply with the minimum public health standards and stay at home.
“Ang sitwasyon po natin ay hindi po aayos at ine-expect po naming this will get worse. Titindi pa po ang pandemya. Nauunahan ng pagdami ng kaso ang paglaki ng kapasidad ng sistema,” Limpin said.
The DOH earlier said that cases in Metro Manila may reach 16,000 to 43,000 by Sept. 30, but assured the continued expansion of healthcare capacity in select areas of the country.
“We were able to provide already for most of the hospitals mechanical ventilators, dumating siya ngayong linggo, high flow nasal cannulas, meron ding parating na oxygen concentrators,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
“Napag-utusan kami ng House of Representatives na balikan ang budget para makita kung ano ang pwede i-forego muna for 2022 so we can have identified budget para sa SRA [special risk allowance] ng ating health workers,” she added. – Report from Mark Fetalco/AG- jlo
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