One Hospital Command: Hospitals in NCR, nearby areas overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients

Hospitals in Metro Manila and nearby areas are overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, Dr. Marylaine Padlan of the One Hospital Command Center said Friday. 

Padlan made the admission given that a number of health workers have raised the concern that the health care utilization rate data presented by the government showing that utilization is not at 100% do not reflect the situation on the ground given that such data do not include the situation of hospitals’ emergency rooms.

“We still receive 400 to 500 calls [asking for hospital admission for a COVID-19 patient] per day, and it is really hard to find a hospital for patients in Region 4A, Region 3 and the National Capital Region (NCR) where most our our calls are coming from,” Padlan said during the Laging Handa briefing.

“Yes, the health care utilization data do not show availability of beds in ER. Punuan po talaga ang mga ospital, at patuloy po kami na naghahanap at nagtatawag [kapag mayroong may kailangan] kasi iyong mga nasa ER po, naa-admit rin po sila sa ospital kapag nagkaroon na ng kwarto (Hospitals really are at full capacity, and we just press on looking if there is available because those in the ER are the ones who will be admitted to a hospital room once such room becomes available),” she added.

Padlan said that aside from regions she already mentioned, health care utilization rate in Regions 1 and 2, as well as Cordillera Administrative Region and Caraga Administrative Region, are also at high risk.

“We refer the patient to the hospital nearest to them, but most of those who call us, we refer them to the NCR hospitals because the tertiary hospitals needed by severe and critical patients are also in NCR,” she pointed out.

“Mahirap po talaga magpasok sa ospital (It is really hard to secure a hospital admission),” she added.

Since August 21, the number of new daily COVID-19 cases recorded in the country has ranged from 13,000 to 26,000. — RSJ, GMA News