Zamboanga del Sur hospitals hit critical level

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The health system in Zamboanga del Sur has reached critical level due to a surge in COVID-19 cases believed to be triggered by the highly transmissible Delta variant, according to the Department of Health (DOH) regional office.

DOH-Zamboanga peninsula director Joshua Brillantes lamented the shortage of medical workers with the resignation of doctors and nurses while several others are on quarantine.

“So how can the hospital provide quality health care?” he asked.

Brillantes said 54 doctors are currently on quarantine after they were exposed to COVID patients.

“We are calling on doctors who want to volunteer in Zamboanga del Sur. Hoping for your kindness because the cases are overwhelming and we lack doctors... We can also hire doctors and nurses who are brave enough to be assigned in this area,” he said.

Brillantes said the DOH regional office recently deployed additional nurses in Zamboanga del Sur.

He said hospital bed utilization in the province has reached 88 percent while the utilization rate of medical ventilators is at 90 percent.

The Zamboanga del Sur provincial health office recorded 1,266 active cases as of Aug. 31, adding that eight deaths per day were recently recorded.

Brillantes said the number of active cases in almost all towns in the province is increasing.

He said the DOH regional office coordinated with concerned local government units (LGUs) in Zamboanga del Sur to implement granular lockdowns.

Aside from increasing the testing capacity, he said they are monitoring the contact tracing efforts of LGUs.

More Delta cases

Meanwhile, eight new Delta cases were recorded in Pangasinan.

Provincial health office chief Anna Ma. Teresa de Guzman said 2,521 active cases were recorded on Wednesday, 210 of them new infections.

De Guzman said 25 deaths were also reported.

In Baguio City, 29 of the 129 barangays have been placed on lockdown.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong said non-essential travel is prohibited starting today until Sept. 19 as a precautionary measure.

The city logged 116 new cases as of 5 p.m. on Wednesday.