Amid the growing cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country, the Department of Health checked on hospitals in Metro Manila Monday to ensure that they are allocating 30 percent of their bed capacity for COVID-19 cases.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that hospitals are mandated to allocate 30 percent of total bed capacity for treating patients who have tested positive for the disease to meet the government’s minimum health system capacity.

The DOH has observed, however, that some hospitals are not complying with the order.

“When a hospital declares full capacity, we must be very cautious in interpreting this as all hospitals were mandated to allot 30 percent of bed capacity for COVID;  but not all hospitals complied (with) this,” Vergeire said, prompting the DOH to meet with hospitals in the National Capital Region to ensure that they are complying with the policy.

The health official explained that a hospital with 400-bed capacity may have only set 40 to 50 of its total beds for COVID-19 cases and not the required 30 percent.  

“’Pag nag-declare full capacity yun lang capacity na allocate for COVID (When the hospital declares full capacity, it’s only declaring its allocated beds for COVID), but not the entire hospital so there’s still room in every hospital to expand more. That is what we are doing in our government hospitals,” Vergeire said.

The undersecretary noted that “there are still rooms available if cases continue to rise” and that “there is still no shortage in government hospitals in Metro Manila” which at present are on “moderate risk level in using critical care resources.”
Critical care utilization rate in Metro Manila “is now about 60 percent,” Vergeire said, compelling them to talk with hospitals about their compliance with the 30 percent bed capacity allocation.  

As of July 5, 68 percent of isolation beds in government hospitals in Metro Manila are occupied, 79 percent of ward beds are in use, and 51 percent of ICU beds are occupied while 29.8 percent of mechanical ventilators are also occupied.

The Philippines, as of July 5, has 29,087 active cases, 94 percent of them are with mild symptoms while 0.1 percent or 28 patients are critical cases.

Cluster cases

It was noted that 64 barangays in Cebu were found to have clusters while 314 barangays in the National Capital Region also reported to have these clusters of cases.

“We have identified three closed settings sa NCR, kasama ang MRT na binabantayan natin sa ngayon (this include cases in MRT which we are monitoring),” Vergeire said.  

The department is currently monitoring Cebu City, the entire Cebu province, Lapu-Lapu City, Quezon City, Mandaue, Manila, which are the top 6 places with highest COVID-19 cases.

With this the health department reiterated to the public to practice minimum health standards.

“We cannot overemphasize that fact that everyone should follow our minimum health standards (MHS). When we eased the quarantine, the specific condition was that MHS should be implemented, followed and practiced by every individual. Every individual’s role is very important now because if only they would do the preventive measures that we always emphasize, we hope that it stops the transmission,” Vergeire said.  

Establishments’ role in preventing further community transmission of the disease was also emphasized as cases continue to rise amid the relaxed quarantine.