DOH urges hospitals to submit ER data to help COVID-19 alert system implementation

The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday urged hospitals to submit their emergency room admission data regularly as this would help the government adjust measures during the implementation of the new COVID-19 alert level system in Metro Manila.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire made the remark after Healthcare Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19 (HPAAC) urged the government to fix “inadequacies” in its reporting system.

“Actually nakapagusap na kami with them. May mga kaunting challenges lang po talaga ang national government for us to be able to get the necessary data especially sa mga [emergency room] admission,” Vergeire said during the Laging Handa briefing.

(We have talked to them. There are some challenges on the part of the national government in getting the necessary data especially in ER admissions.)

“So kami po ay nananawagan sa mga ospital na sana we can regularly get your data on ER admissions para maisama natin ito sa ating mga tinitingnan,” she added.

(So we're asking the hospitals, we hope that we can get your data on ER admissions so that we can consider it in our new system.)

Vergeire underscored the need for hospitals' cooperation as the DOH was facing difficulties in monitoring the data of healthcare facilities all over the country.

“The health professionals po they look at their specific hospitals, we look at the whole country. So pagka ganito ‘yung challenges napakarami po and specifically po yung compliance sa submission ng reports,” she noted.

(Given the situation, there are many challenges. Specifically, the compliance over submitting reports.)

Currently, Vergeire said the government was looking at other data that would serve as indicators that would give them an idea of how to provide a more “appropriate and sensitive” approach to the COVID-19 situation in the country.

Last Thursday, the HPAAC called on the government to “acknowledge and address” the inadequacies of the data reporting system which serves as the basis for the alert levels.

The healthcare professionals said that the loosening of restrictions comes at a time when COVID-19 cases are surging and hospitals are at capacity or over—suggesting that "the proposed scheme, which claims to use pandemic severity and healthcare utilization data in deciding the alert level, does not reflect the true situation on the ground."

The group added that health facilities are "overwhelmed, resulting in patients dying unattended at home, in ambulances, or corridors."

Last September 16, the National Capital Region was placed under an Alert Level 4, which the HPAAC said had less strict restrictions than the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ). — DVM, GMA News