Some patients 'almost dying' in ambulances in Kalibo, Aklan

Some patients are almost dying inside ambulances in Kalibo, Aklan as hospitals can no longer admit them due to full capacity.

According to Jun Veneracion's report on "24 Oras" on Tuesday, ambulances have lined up outside a hospital in Kalibo because the facility's COVID-19 beds were already full.

"Tina-try po namin habulin 'yong buhay ng pasyente namin. Eh due to pila nga po sa hospital, ang daming pasyente, 'yong kalimitan nangyayari po sa ambulansya na lang halos namamatay ang pasyente," Jeremie Fernandez, first responder of the Kalimo Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said.

(We are trying to keep our patients alive. But they end up almost dying inside the ambulances due to the sheer number of patients as well as the long lines.)

"Sa part po naming responder ang sakit po noon (On the part of responders like us, that is really painful)," he added.

Aklan has been placed under the stricter modified enhanced community quarantine until August 15 as the country continues to battle the surge in new COVID-19 cases brought by the Delta variant.

As of July 28, the Philippines has logged 216 Delta variant cases.

The Department of Health has yet to confirm community transmission of the Delta variant, which would mean that links between cases can no longer be identified. -Ma. Angelica Garcia/MDM, GMA News