The East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) in Quezon City has utilized 77 percent of its COVID allotted beds as of Tuesday, March 16.
Dr. Alfonso Nuñez, EAMC’s medical center chief, said the number of patients confined in the hospital for COVID is continuously increasing.
“Kagaya po ng mga karanansan ng ibang hospital, tumataas po yung aming COVID related patients (Like what other hospitals are experiencing, we are also seeing a rising number of COVID related patients),” Nuñez told DZMM Teleradyo.
Nuñez said EAMC has 51 active COVID cases among its healthcare workers.
Majority of the COVID positive healthcare workers got infected in the community, according to Nuñez.
The hospital medical center chief, however, emphasized that the healthcare workers infected with COVID are mostly mild and asymptomatic.
Compared to last year, Nuñez said the hospital can manage the cases better now since they are more ready to handle patients.
“Ang ginawa po namin ay nakapaghanda po kami ng isang building sa mga COVID patients…dedicated po 200 to 250 beds for COVID patients (What we did is we readied one building for COVID patients…dedicated 200 to 250 beds for COVID),” he said.
Nuñez said the hospital likewise upgraded its manpower to handle the pandemic.
An additional 450 to 500 contractual workers which include nurses, doctors, medical technicians, and respiratory technicians were also hired by the hospital to help in its pandemic response.
The hospital said it has vaccinated 60 percent of its healthcare workers.