DOH: Philippines’ healthcare system close to being overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases

The Philippines’ healthcare system is close to being overwhelmed by the rising number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday as the national COVID-19 bed occupancy rate breached the “warning zone.”

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said 52.3% or 8,577 of the 16,388 beds dedicated for COVID-19 patients across the country were occupied as of July 26.

The DOH earlier explained that an area is in the “safe zone” if 0% to 30% of COVID-19-dedicated facilities are in use, while it is in the “warning zone” at 30% to 70% utilization and in the “danger zone” at 70% to 100% utilization.

“Nationally, malapit na po na ma-overwhelm ang health system natin… kaya naman nakikiusap po kami sa inyo na sumunod po tayo sa minimum health standards,” she said in a briefing.

Vergeire also reported that Metro Manila was in the danger zone with 82.2% of COVID-19 beds occupied as of July 26, while the Cordillera Administrative Region and Regions 1, 3, 4-A, 6, 7, and 11 were in the warning zone.

However, the health official said that not all hospitals have complied with the DOH order to allocate 30% of beds in public hospitals and 20% of beds in private hospitals for COVID-19 cases.

“Sa kasalukuyan po, 21.4% ng public beds at 10.1% ng private beds pa lamang ang nakalaan sa COVID-19. Kulang pa po ito kaya naman pinag-uusapan ng ahensya kung paano po ito papataasin pa,” Vergeire said.

The government earlier required hospitals to allocate 50% to 70% of beds to COVID-19 cases in the event of a surge in infections. 

The Philippines has logged 83,673 COVID-19 cases with 26,617 recoveries and 1,947 deaths as of Tuesday afternoon, still the second-highest across Southeast Asia.  —LDF, GMA News