Calls received by One Hospital Command rise as number of COVID-19 cases goes up —DOH

The number of calls received by the One Hospital Command Center has been going up due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said on Wednesday.

"Ang dami naming tawag sa One Hospital Command Center in the past three weeks," Vega said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

(We at the One Hospital Command Center have been receiving a lot of calls in the past three weeks.) 

"'Yung mga tawag namin sa ospital, talagang tumataas 'yung tawag namin ngayon. Ang average 250 to 300 calls a day," he said.

(The number of our calls to hospitals has been going up. The average is 250 to 300 calls a day.)

DOH Epidemiology Bureau director Alethea de Guzman said the rising number of calls was an indication that more people are “actively seeking” medical advice. 

“In one way we don’t want more calls because that means more people are getting sick, but I’d like to take a positive [note] that many people are becoming aware that they should not self-medicate,” de Guzman said in an online briefing. 

The One Hospital Command Center is a centralized network where individuals needing medical attention would be referred to service providers such as hospitals, quarantine facilities and medical transportation. Those in need of medical attention may contact the center by downloading the free Pure Force Citizens application, calling the hotlines 02-886-505-00, 0915-777-7777 and 0919-977-3333, or by scanning its Quick Response (QR) code.

Vega said aside from referring those with COVID-19 symptoms to hospitals, they also refer returning overseas Filipinos to isolation and quarantine facilities.

"Pati returning overseas Filipinos, hinahanapan namin ng isolation at quarantine facilities," he said.

(We are even helping returning overseas Filipinos find isolation and quarantine facilities.)

Vega admitted that there are times they could not attend to all the calls but they do the best they can.

"'Pag minsan meron kaming mga 'falls'. Hindi namin kaagad magampanan," he admitted, but said their call center handles as much as it can.

(Sometimes we have 'falls'. We could not attend to them right away.)

"Mabuti na lang meron kaming call center," Vega said.

(It's a good thing we have a call center.)

The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday logged 4,437 new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections, bringing the total tally to 631,320.

According to the DOH, this pushed the total active cases in the country to 57,736, this year’s highest.

Of this, 92.6 percent are mild, 4 percent are asymptomatic, 1.3 percent are severe, and 1.3 percent are in critical condition.

The DOH also reported that total recoveries rose to 560,736 after 166 more patients recovered from the illness while the death toll increased to 12,848 with 11 new fatalities.

Vega said COVID-19 cases which are moderate and up need to be brought to a hospital.

Those with mild symptoms or are asymptomatic may isolate or be quarantined in facilities, he said.

"Around 93% are mild at puwede i-isolate o i-quarantine sa facilities. 'Yung moderate o severe, kailangan talagang matingnan ng ospital," Vega said.

(Around 93% are mild and can be isolated or quarantined in facilities. Those that are moderate or severe need to be brought to hospitals.)

Healthcare utilization

Vega said ICU and COVID-19 wards and isolation beds utilization in hospitals in Metro Manila remains at moderate risk.

"Nasa moderate risk sa kabuuan sa Metro Manila, pero merong mga areas nasa high risk category na lalo na 'yung mga level 3 hospitals," he said.

(Hospitals in Metro Manila are at moderate risk generally, but there are areas at the high risk category especially the level 3 hospitals.)

As for COVID-19 referral hospitals in Metro Manila, Vega said Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium in Caloocan City is at 51% capacity; East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City is between moderate to high risk category; Quirino Memorial Medical Center in QC is at moderate risk; and Lung Center of the Philippines also in QC is at moderate risk.

"May konting capacity pa tayo," Vega said but did not discount the possibility that the utilization rate may even go up. "Baka lalampas," he said.

(We still have some capacity... It [utilization rate] may go beyond the maximum capacity.)

If that happens, Vega said COVID-19 patients in Metro Manila may be referred to hospitals in Regions 3 or 4.

"Kung ganoon na nga at nangyari ito, kailangan i-transport namin sila sa mga areas na may bakante," the DOH official said.

(If that happens, we need to transport them to areas where there are vacant beds in hospitals.)

Vega however said it is difficult to predict when the utilization rate will reach the maximum.

"Mahirap mag-project kung ilang araw. Hindi natin alam kung ano ang bagong mutations na dadating," he said.

(It is hard to project how many days it will take before we reach the maximum utilization rate. We do not know what new mutations may show up.)

Vega however said that on the whole, the healthcare utilization in the entire country is at low risk.

"Dapat kung titingnan nila sa kabuuan sa buong Pilipinas na ang ating healthcare utilization nasa low risk category sa buong bansa," he said.

(They should look at the whole Philippines wherein the healthcare utilization is at low risk category.)

The DOH reported on Tuesday that 47% or 998 of ICU beds are occupied in the country out of a total of 2,113 beds as of March 15.

Meanwhile, 31% or 2,886 ward beds were occupied out of 9,371. 

As for isolation beds, 39% or 6,860 such beds were occupied out of 17,609.

In all, 36% or 10,744 beds were occupied out of 29,093 as of March 15, the DOH said.

Containing the transmission

Vega then stressed the importance of containing the transmission of the coronavirus.

"Baka ma-overwhelm tayo, lalong lalo na kung 80% ang utilization ng isolation ward sa Metro Manila. Hindi dapat umabot sa 80%," he said.

(We might be overwhelmed, especially if utilization of isolation wards reaches 80% in Metro Manila. It should not reach 80%.)

"Dapat ipababa talaga natin ang transmission o reproduction rate to 1 or even less than 1," Vega said.

(The transmission or reproduction rate should be brought down to 1 or even less than 1.)

The OCTA Research group said the reproduction rate, or the number of people who could be infected by one person with the virus, increased to 2.03, meaning every COVID-19 case can infect two other people. The Philippines could see 11,000 new COVID-19 cases daily by the end of March, the group said Tuesday as it noted an upward trend in infections.

"Tama ang OCTA na madali ang hawaan ng mga tao. Gumawa na tayo ng hakbang ngayon," Vega said, adding that it is important for people to wear face masks and observe social distancing, and for local government units to implement containment strategy such as granular lockdowns.

(OCTA is right in saying transmission [of the virus] is faster. We should act on it now.)

Vega said aggressive testing, aggressive contact tracing, isolation and lockdown will help curb the rise in COVID-19 cases. —With a report from Virgil Lopez/KG, GMA News