Duque: Utilize quarantine facilities, hospitalization only for severe COVID-19 cases

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Tuesday hospital confinement should be limited to COVID-19 patients who are in severe and critical condition to avoid the hospital congestion.

Duque made the remark as the COVID-19 cases in the Philippines reached 57,006 as of July 13, while 20,371 recovered, and 1,599 died.

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He noted that the country’s 8,287 community isolation centers with 70,000 beds for suspect and probable COVID-19 cases are only at 25% to 30% utilization.

Meanwhile, the utilization rate for Mega Ligtas Quarantine facilities for mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases is at 40% to 50%.

“Dapat mapuno natin ito para hindi lahat, [ang] puntahan, sa ospital. Ang problema namin, nagkakaron ng congestion sa ospital kasi gusto lahat roon eh,” Duque said at a press conference.

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“Ang ibig naming baguhin iyong health seeking behavior ng ating mga kababayan. We will have a redistribution system to determine sino ang puede sa hospitals at sa temporary treatment facilities, at matukoy iyong facilities saan puede pumunta ang pasyente,” he added.
(We want to change the health-seeking behavior of our countrymen. We will have a redistribution system to determine who can go to hospitals and temporary treatment facilities, and identify the facilities where the patient can go.)
With the said scheme, the health chief said that Level 2 and Level 3 hospitals equipped with Intensive Care Unit rooms and mechanical ventilators be overwhelmed.

“Our hospitals should not be congested so it can treat the severe and critical cases. Hindi puedeng pati mild cases ay doon sa ospital. Hindi natin puedeng hayaan na ganoon ang mangyari kasi maooverwhelm ang ating hospital system,” Duque said.

(Our hospitals should not be congested so it can treat the severe and critical COVID-19 cases. Mild cases are not allowed in the hospital. We cannot allow that to happen because our hospital system would be overwhelmed.)

“We should have seamless integration sa paggamit ng [in using] facilities,” he added.

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At least four hospitals have declared that they already reached its full capacity for treating COVID-19 patients: St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City, St. Luke’s Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City, Makati Medical Center and The Medical City.