143 Orthopedic Center staff test positive for COVID-19

Philippine Orthopedic Center staff who tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) waited patiently in their vehicles only to be turned away eventually due to the lack of vacancies at isolation facilities.

According to Maki Pulido’s report on “24 Oras,” 110 out of 180 healthcare workers of the Philippine Orthopedic Center that were tested for COVID-19 found out that they were positive on Thursday. This brought the active cases in the hospital to 143.

Senior nurse Sean Herbert Velchez said the healthcare workers searched for available rooms at government-run quarantine centers as their hospital dormitory could only serve 30 individuals undergoing isolation.

Velchez said some of the ill staff were living in dormitories while others were living with their relatives.

“Marami pa rin ngang nagpapadala ng feelers para masundo sila or mahanapan sila ng isolation facility dahil nga po hindi sila talaga makakapag stay sa bahay,” he said.

[May are sending feelers to fetch them or search for an isolation facility because they really can’t stay at home.]

Velchez said that only a small number of healthcare workers could rent their own room.

“So ilan lang ‘yung may privilege na kaya nilang mag-upa ng sariling room na may CR, eh ‘yun ‘yung pirmary consideration para payagan ka mag home quarantine,” he said.

[Very few have the means to rent their own room that has a bathroom. This is the primary consideration when undergoing home quarantine.]

Due to this, Velchez appealed to the government to help healthcare workers now that they were the ones getting sick.

“Iniiyakan namin kagabi pa kung paano po gagawin, kaya nag-send na kami ng S.O.S para makarating sa national consciousness na dapat hindi mauulit na ganito na sino na ba ‘yung mangangalaga sa mga healthcare workers,” he said.

[We have been despairing since last night. That’s why we sent an SOS so that it could appeal to the national consciousness that this kind of thing should not happen again. Who is going to take care of healthcare workers now?]

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the Department of Health (DOH) had started its investigation as protocol dictates that those who took swab tests must undergo quarantine until results are released.

Meanwhile, several individuals were also refused admission at the Lung Center of the Philippines due to a lack of vacancies.

In Raffy Tima’s report, Dr. Edison De Vera said beds only became available when a patient dies or when they are discharged.

“Ang dami po kasi talagang patient sa baba kaya hindi ko rin po talaga hawak. At saka wala po kami napauwi agad-agad. Nawawalan lang po ng kama pag may namamatay po or may mapapauwi kami,” he said.

[There are too many patients downstairs, I don't have a choice in this. Neither can we discharge anyone immediately. A bed only becomes available when someone dies or when we discharge someone.]

DOH data show 78% of the intensive care unit beds in the National Capital Region are occupied while 71% of the isolation beds are in use.

Lung Center spokesperson Dr. Norberto Francisco said he feared that the health system might collapse.

“Even if we are running the hospital here, we are also helpless ourselves. Kasi pag dumating ngayon, by batches, by families,” he said.

[Even if we are running the hospital here, we are also helpless ourselves. Because when patients arrive now, it’s by batches, by families.] — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News