30% COVID-19 ICU bed requirement must be increased –Dizon

As more hospitals declared themselves to be at full capacity, Deputy Chief Implementer of the National COVID-19 Action Plan Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday suggested that the 30 percent intensive care unit (ICU) bed allocation for novel coronavirus cases currently required of health facilities be increased.

“Tumataas po talaga ang ating hospital utilization lalo na ang ating ICU beds. Ang kailangan pong gawin, kailangan nating mag-expand,” Dizon said on Dobol B sa News TV.

“Ang maganda po rito, 30 percent pa lang po ang na-allocate sa COVID-19 patients. Kailangan pong pataasin ito. Kailangan po nating tulungan ang ating hospital na ma-manage ang mga kaso ng COVID-19,” he added.

Dizon noted that a referral system was being utilized so that full hospitals can transfer COVID-19 cases to health facilities with vacant ICU beds.

He underscored that management was important at this stage.

Currently, the Department of Health (DOH) required hospitals to allocate 30 percent of their ICU beds for COVID-19 patients. The requirement may be increased by 10 percent in case of a surge.

Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PHAPI) President Dr. Rustico Jimenez said private hospitals were at near full capacity for COVID-19 cases.

The St. Lukes Medical Center in Quezon City and in Taguig City, as well as the Makati Medical Center, had both declared that they were at full capacity for COVID-19 intensive care unit cases. — DVM, GMA News