It is said that the capacity of some hospitals in Metro Manila is overflowing due to the continuous crackdown on COVID-19 cases, according to their leadership, even though the region was placed under strict quarantine last month.
Dr. Norberto Francisco, spokesperson of the Lung Center of the Philippines, told TeleRadyo that the hospital’s capacity is still at 200 percent and that the rooms will not be vacant for 5 weeks.
He also said that they have added a COVID-19 emergency room because the previous emergency room has already been filled.
So far, they have not felt the effect of enhanced community quarantine and modified community quarantine because there is still no decrease in COVID-19 cases and many are still critical.
Their healthcare workers have almost no rest.
They once again called on the government to do everything possible to address the problem of the increase in COVID-19 cases in the country.
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“We just have to attack this at all angles. We can, of course, ‘yung health protocols natin, ‘yung ating laging paulit-ulit na sinasabi sa community level and then ginagawa naman ng gobyerno na nagtatayo ng mga field hospital, mga modular,” said Francisco.
The Philippine General Hospital (PGH) said the number of COVID-19 patients admitted to their hospital is still not decreasing.
PGH spokesperson Dr. Jonas del Rosario said that as of Sunday, there were 225 COVID-19 patients in the hospital, with more than 85 percent occupancy.
He said many critical patients are on their waitlist but they cannot enter because there is no vacant intensive care unit room.
He said manpower is a big limitation for them because not just one health worker will be needed in the COVID-19 ICU.
The Private Hospitals Association Philippines (PHAP) said it is not easy to put extra beds for COVID-19 patients.
When COVID-19 beds are added, it is also necessary to increase the number of doctors and nurses, especially since moderate to severe cases are admitted to the hospital, PHAP president Dr. Jose Rene de Grano explained.
He said the ability to add COVID-19 beds depends on hospitals.