Seven of eight allotted pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) beds in the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) are currently occupied, its spokesperson said Wednesday, Aug. 4.
"Out of the eight beds, seven are occupied right now. Three are intubated, the rest are oxygen requiring," PGH Spokesperson Dr. Jonas Del Rosario said in an interview with CNN Philippines.
Del Rosario also bared that they are seeing "sicker" pediatric patients now.
"I was told by the pediatric intensivist that they are seeing sicker pediatric patients now with COVID, severe COVID pneumonia needing intubation," he added.
"We did admit pediatric COVID patients in the past, it just seems to us that they are sicker now. They have severe pneumonia and need to be intubated. Some of our pediatric patients have underlying comorbid conditions."
Del Rosario noted that some of their pediatric patients have congenital heart defects, kidney problems, and lung disease.
"They also get sick and when they do develop or acquire COVID, they are at risk."
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