Lipa City hospital at full capacity for COVID-19 patients

LIPA CITY, Philippines (The Filipino Connection) — Metro Lipa Medical Center announced on Wednesday that the hospital will not be admitting new COVID-19 patients because the allotted isolation beds for them have been filled up.

"In this regard, we humbly request that you transfer COVID-19 suspect, probable and confirmed patients (sic) requiring admission to other healthcare facilities, as we could no longer extend beyond our current capacity without compromising the health of our patient and hospital staff," Dr. John Rodolfo Suan, MLMC medical director, said in a public advisory posted at the hospital’s official Facebook page.

The hospital's emergency room staff has also been instructed to "screen all patients coming to the emergency room and to admit only patients classified as non-COVID."

In a Viber message, Suan said all of the hospital's 10 isolation beds for COVID patients have already been occupied.

Outpatient and emergency rooms, meanwhile, will remain open for initial management of COVID and non-COVID patients.

"This is only temporary and we will keep everyone updated once we have available isolation beds for admission," Suan said in a public advisory.

Earlier, DWIZ radio reported that the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines expressed fears that private hospitals in the Philippines may once again reach full capacity in three to four weeks.

Dr. Jose De Grano, PHAP president, said this may happen if the COVID cases in the country continue to surge. Should this situation happen, he says health workers may request another "time out."

In its 4 p.m. report, the Department of Health recorded 4,387 new COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, with 374 new recoveries and 18 new deaths.