The lack of available beds at referral hospitals for severe and critical coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases is causing the delay in knowing the accurate number of confirmed cases in Valenzuela City.

Mayor Rex Gatchalian bared in an interview with Manila Bulletin that cases where COVID-19 patients are not immediately referred to medical facilities hamper efforts of the city to test possible virus carriers.

"May isang chain reaction na problema yan. Di ba, halimbawa, yung cases na yan, may kasama silang pamilya habang nasa loob sila ng bahay. Di sila ma-swab agad, yung pamilya kasi, andoon pa 'yung positive. Their exposure is high [It’s a problem that brings a chain  reaction. For example, in a house where a family lives, there is a positive case.  We cannot test the family because of that positive case in the house)," Gatchalian said, noting that it is in compliance with protocol.

"Diba sa protocol , remove the positive, contact trace and swab the contacts," he said.

Gatchalian was referring to the case of an 82-year-old patient suffering from heart and kidney ailments who had to spend five more days at home despite testing positive for the virus because of lack of available hospitals to admit him.

" may apat pa kami sa bahay na di namin magalaw ," he added.

Running out of referral hospitals

Gatchalian expressed concern that the local government is running out of referral hospitals for severe and critical COVID-19 patients.

He said one of the reasons is because some hospitals are not reportedly complying with the DOH directive to convert 30 percent of their facility into COVID-19 wards. He cited one "big" hospital operating in his city as an example.

" is supposed to do around 30 to 35 beds. they're only doing 12," he said. " wala daw silang enough staff. Ang sagot ko... Eh bakit yung ibang hospitals kaya. Kami kaya, in the middle of pandemic? Kung kakayanin, nakakahanap naman ng empleyado [They don't have enough staff. But I said other hospitals find ways.  They can look for employees if they want)."

He said, he already talked to the hospital's owner to issue a warning. The hospital said, they would comply in two weeks.

Another reason, Gatchalian said, is their referral government hospital -- the Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in Tala, Caloocan City, is usually fully occupied.

" be fair about Tala napupuno sila, after a while, tatawag sila . Minsan lang talaga, may waiting time ," he said. 

On an average, Gatchalian said, the city has about seven severe or critical COVID-19 patients who are not immediately brought to hospitals because of "queueing." 

"It's unfair to the hospitals, because the load is falling on them. You can only imagine the frustration of doctors and nurses," he said.

"Ang bottomline, it should be a collective effort ," he said.