Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque advised the public to first call the One-Hospital Command Center (OHCC) before going to hospitals for coronavirus (COVID-19) cases to save themselves the trouble of going to different places to look for available beds.
Roque made the statement after he was accused of skipping the line when he was admitted to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) as a severe COVID-19 case after testing positive for the diseases the second time this year.
In his press briefing on Thursday, Roque advised the public to first call the OHCC following reports of people going from one hospital to another in search of a bed to accommodate a COVID-19 patient.
"Ang advice po natin (Our advice is), contact the One-Hospital Command Center because that will save you from the trouble of going from hospital to hospital," he said.
"Masasabi naman po kung saan kayo pupunta (The OHCC will tell you where you should go)," he added.
Roque likewise told the public that public hospitals do not turn down COVID-19 patients, unlike private hospitals that have a limited number of beds dedicated to coronavirus patients.
The OHCC is a centralized system that Filipinos can call prior to seeking medical assistance so that they are guaranteed a slot at an available and appropriate healthcare facility.
According to the Department of Health, the center can be accessed in three different ways: by downloading the free Pure Force Citizens application; through the dedicated hotlines; 02-886-505-00, 0915-777-7777, and 0919-977-3333; and by scanning its Quick Response (QR) code.
However, there are people who claim that cannot get through the OHCC hotline amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country. Last month, the DOH said it will increase the capacity of the center's hotline after being "swamped" with calls.
Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said more lines will be added aside from augmenting the service through the DOH’s COVID-19 hotline 1555 to enable call queuing.
Meanwhile, Vega advised callers to wait in case of the hotline rings with no answer since the OHC personnel may be busy engaging with other patients.