DOH sets up modular tents, hospital extensions amid COVID-19 surge

The Department of Health (DOH) said on Saturday that they and their partners fast-tracked the delivery and assembling of modular tents in hospitals across the National Capital Region (NCR) amid reports of a lack of vacancies for COVID-19 cases.

According to the DOH, the following eight NCR hospitals had requested for modular tents:

• Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC)
• Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium (Tala)
• Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center
• Tondo Medical Center
• National Center for Mental Health
• Lung Center of the Philippines
• National Kidney and Transplant Institute
• San Lazaro Hospital

The DOH said the tents for the JRRMC and the San Lazaro Hospital are scheduled for assembly on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization would provide four tents which would be used as local government unit-based triage areas.

Data from the DOH showed that 80% of the ICU beds in the NCR are being utilized while 63% of the mechanical ventilators are in use.

The Philippine Hospital Association said earlier that hospitals were "overwhelmed and overrun" by the surge in COVID-19 cases mainly due to their depleted and overworked manpower.

Due to this, the Health Department was also looking to create extensions for level 3 hospitals. This includes the 44-bed modular hospitals at Tala and the Lung Center and the 110-bed capacity off-site modular extension at the JRRMC.

The DOH also called on the public to first coordinate with barangay authorities before visiting hospitals for assessment and referral to the appropriate facility.

It also urged the public to use their local government units' teleconsultation services, or use the free teleconsultation services of the DOH for non-urgent medical needs.

Augment frontliners

According to the DOH, 42 volunteer healthcare workers from regions with low cases will be deployed to NCR-DOH hospitals within the week. It added that more healthcare workers are expected to be deployed next week.

Meanwhile, the DOH said the medical reserve forces of state forces have been directed to man the reactivated Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities where mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases are transferred.

The Philippines reported a total of 784,043 confirmed COVID-19 cases. — DVM, GMA News