DOH: 4 NCR hospitals to get more ICU beds as healthcare utilization rises

Four big hospitals in Metro Manila will get more intensive care unit (ICU) beds as the healthcare utilization rate rises in the capital region and other areas nationwide, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said a total of 240 additional ICU beds will be put up this month in the Lung Center of the Philippines, National Center for Mental Health, East Avenue Medical Center, and the Quirino Memorial Medical Center.

Vergeire said the national healthcare utilization rate stood at 50% but noted that “NCR, other areas are exhibiting already increasing healthcare utilization.”

“‘Pag tiningnan natin sa bawat rehiyon, ibababa pa natin sa bawat probinsya o kaya highly urbanized city o independent city, nakikita na po natin ‘yung mga pagtaas ng paggamit ng ating hospital facilities,” she told a briefing.

(When we look at the data on the regional, provincial, or city level, we can see the increase in the use of our hospital facilities.)

The health official did not specify which areas are seeing an increase in healthcare utilization. According to the DOH tracker, 46.6% of beds in the capital region were occupied as of July 31.

Vergeire said 755 ICU beds and 332 isolation beds have been added in Luzon since last year, as well as 314 isolation beds and 210 ICU beds in Visayas and 306 isolation beds and 190 ICU beds in Mindanao.

She added that health authorities have been pre-positioning medicines and oxygen supplies and procuring other logistical needs amid the threat of the highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant.

“Ang pinakaimportante, kahit magpatuloy ang pagtaas ng kaso, handa po ang sistema natin, pangalawa, marami nang nabakunahan and dahil marami nang nabakunahan, lesser ang chances na mapuno ang ospital,” Vergeire assured.

(The most important thing is, even if cases continue to increase, our system is ready. Second, a lot of people have been vaccinated and because many have been vaccinated, there are lesser chances of hospitals getting full.)

Filipino Nurses United has said the government’s assurance that it is prepared for a surge in cases “is a complete denial of the reality on the ground,” noting that there are not enough health workers to meet the increased bed capacity.

Increase in deaths

The DOH also flagged an increase in deaths “in certain regions of the country” that were not identified, but added that the national case fatality rate remained below 2%.

“Ibig sabihin, dumadami po ‘yung severe and critical case dito sa mga area na ‘to,” Vergeire said. “We are already flagging our local governments and the public na itong deaths natin ay medyo tumataas (that our deaths are slightly increasing).”

The DOH reiterated its call for local governments to set up their own COVID-19 hotline to keep the One Hospital Command Center from getting swamped with calls.

Vergeire said the COVID-19 referral center has already increased its capacity and now offers telemedicine services to callers.

Metro Manila will be under the strictest lockdown classification from August 6 to 20 to stem transmission of the Delta variant, which has been detected in 216 individuals so far.—AOL, GMA News