Most mild COVID-19 patients refusing transfer to gov’t isolation facilities —PHAPI

Most mild COVID-19 patients are refusing to be transferred from private hospitals to government’s isolation facilities, according to the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PHAPI).

Interviewed on GMA News’ Unang Balita on Tuesday, PHAPI president Dr. Rustico Jimenez said patients preferred to be admitted in hospitals that are near to their homes.

“Kaya lang po karamihan ng mga pasyente ayaw naman lumipat doon dahil natatakot, dahil siyempre malayo sa bahay nila,” he said.

“Usually mga pasyente pumupunta doon sa private hospital na malapit sa bahay nila e, para madadalaw sila o mabibigyan ng pagkain. So ang nagyayari, full packed 'yung mga private hospitals,” he added.

Jimenez suggested mild cases should be transferred to isolation facilities to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.

On Monday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said plenty of isolation facilities are available to accommodate COVID-19 patients.

In isolation facilities managed by local government units (LGUs), Vergeire said the occupancy rate was only at 25%, while national government-run facilities' occupancy rate was at 38%.

On Sunday, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the government is now discouraging home quarantine for persons who test positive for COVID-19 to lessen the risk of transmitting the virus within households.

Nograles, co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, said the government now prefers patients to undergo quarantine in facilities instead. —Joviland Rita/KG, GMA News