The Department of Health (DOH) has urged hospitals to expand their bed capacity for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients.
In a virtual forum on Monday, March 22, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during the surge in cases, hospitals, both public and private, national and local government, have that responsibility to help the government by expanding their capacity to accommodate more patients.
Philippine Hospital Association (PHA) President Dr Jaime Almora said reports of limited beds is actually because hospitals are lacking in manpower services.
"The nurses are already exhausted. They are already lacking in manpower... Their capability to provide services is already low," he said in a radio interview.
Almora said healthcare workers are already tired and are in need of reinforcement.
Vergeire said they are already looking at ways on how to augment hospitals.
"We are already looking at ways on how we can augment hospitals, especially those whose healthcare workers have been infected, on leave, or resigned," she said.
Based on the data of DOH, a total of 1,154 healthcare workers have been infected with COVID-19 from February 1 to March 21, 2021.