St. Luke’s faces manpower shortage

MANILA, Philippines — Amid the rising number of COVID-19 patients, St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig is reportedly struggling in attending to patients after some of its health care workers have resigned.

The number of nurses assigned in the emergency room has dropped from 66 to 43, according to SLMC executive vice president and chief medical officer Benjamin Campomanes Jr.

“Many of those who resigned left for overseas employment,” Campomanes said.

Aside from resignations, several health workers of SLMC in Quezon City and BGC went on quarantine after they were found to be asymptomatic carriers of the virus.

Last Wednesday, the SLMC announced that its medical facilities had reached full capacity, and advised COVID-19 patients to look for other hospitals.

The Rosario Maclang Bautista General Hospital in Quezon City has also reached full capacity for COVID-19 cases.

The hospital said people with COVID-19 symptoms should look for other medical institutions as its wards, pop-up tents and other rooms are already full of patients.

At the Lung Center of the Philippines, bed occupancy has also reached full capacity. – Neil Jayson Servallos, Emmanuel Tupas, Ghio Ong