The East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) in Quezon City has already reached its "critical level" in terms of admission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients.
Dr. Dennis Ordoña, EAMC spokesman, told Manila Bulletin Friday that 90 percent of the facility's 130 COVID-19 beds are already occupied.
"Bagamat napupuno at dumadami , kinakailangan naman namin mag adjust. Kami po ay nagrere-allocate at nagrere-assign ng ibang areas para buksan para ma-accommodate po itong mga pasyenteng ito. ," Ordoña explained in an interview over DZMM Teleradyo.
"But still, masasabi namin na critical level yung dami ng pasyente. ,” he added.
Ordoña said the surge came about "two weeks after the declaration of the general community quarantine (GCQ)" in Metro Manila.
"Around ikalawa or ikatlong linggo ng Hunyo, marami na po talaga (The admission of COVID patients started to increase by the second or third week of June)," he said.
Ordoña said EAMC is only admitting patients with severe or critical condition.
"Meron lang pong pagkakataon na yung mga mild cases, ito po ay mga pasyente na na-admit dahil sa ibang kondisyon. Halimbawa na lang po na-stroke or nagkaroon ng vehicular accident tapos, upon examination, mayroon palang ubo. Tapos ite-test namin, that's the time na meron lang pong mild cases. (There are times when we admit mild cases with prior health conditions like stroke or those who figured in an accident. Upon examination we discover them to be suffering from cough and when we test them that is the time we discover they have mild coronavirus symptoms)," he said.
Ordoña added that they are now working to convert 30 percent of the entire EAMC into COVID-19 wards to meet the standard set by the Department of Health. Currently, 20 percent of the facility has already been turned into isolation facilities.
"Maaabot na namin itong 30 percent, kasi sinasara na namin yung mga wards para maconvert into COVID wards. Ganun pa man, ine-expect po namin na sa loob lang ng isang linggo ay maaaring puno na naman yung aming gagawin na COVID wards. (We can already comply with the 30 percent because we are already closing and converting some of our wards into COVID-19 wards. Nevertheless, we are expecting that this would be filled in just one week)," he added.
The facility is coordinating with other medical facilities to admit non-COVID patients, Ordoña added.