DOH: Metro Manila admissions manageable

MANILA, Philippines — Hospitals in Metro Manila are far from being congested despite the continuing increase in COVID-19 cases, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.

The healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) in the National Capital Region ranged from low to moderate risk even with the current surge, according to Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega.

In a Laging Handa public briefing, Vega said that despite the surge this month, “we saw that the hospitalization (rate) for the country is in the low risk category while for Metro Manila, it is at the borderline of low risk and moderate risk at 60 percent.”

“Very manageable at this time,” he added, but admitted that there are areas in Metro Manila with HCUR in the high-risk category such as San Juan, Taguig, Quezon City and Marikina.

He said authorities need only to coordinate to refer and transfer patients from these four cities to other areas in the region.

Vega sees no need to raise the alert level in Metro Manila to Alert Level 4, noting that hospital admissions should be at “71 percent or high risk.”

However, he said the government has reopened temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMFs) to address an increasing demand for isolation facilities for mild and moderate COVID cases.

“Our TTMFs have a utilization rate of 78 percent already. Gradually, we are increasing our number of isolation facilities and isolation beds,” Vega said.

EAMC reaches capacity

The East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) in Quezon City has breached its capacity for COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Alfonso Nunes, EAMC medical chief, said the hospital has set aside 300 beds for COVID patients, including all 50 beds at its intensive care unit, but had 371 patients as of yesterday morning.

The EAMC will open more beds to address the surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Nunes said most of EAMC’s patients had moderate symptoms while there were others reported to be in critical condition.

The EAMC is undermanned as at least 540 of its medical workers are under quarantine.