The Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) has dedicated 76 percent of its bed capacity for patients infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) amid the continuous rise in the number of infections.
LCP spokesperson Dr. Norberto Francisco said the hospital has increased its capacity to serve more infected patients by establishing more “hospitainers” or container vans converted into a medical facility that could accommodate moderate, severe and critical cases.
“Ngayon, nasa 76 percent na kami na dedicated sa COVID (As of now, we have dedicated 76 percent of our capacity to COVID patients),” Francisco said in a public briefing Friday, Aug. 13.
“And this about the highest, hindi namin pwedeng gawing 100 percent kasi ang mandato ng Lung Center ay gumamot sa lahat ng klaseng lung diseases (we can't make it 100 percent because the Lung Center's mandate is to treat all kinds of lung diseases),” he added.
But he noted that the effects of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila have yet to be felt in hospital’s admissions and healthcare capacity due to a two-week lag in the implementation of the new quarantine status.
Francisco pointed out that the number of infected patients currently treated at the LCP soared by seven times compared to number of patients a month ago.
“On July 13 that was our lowest census of 20 admitted COVID patients. By the end of the month, it multiplied by three times. We had 60 admitted cases by the end of July,” he said.
“Today is Aug. 13, roughly two weeks after, we are at 135 admitted patients,” he added.
Moreover, he noted that the number of infected patients admitted at the LCP “exponentially” increased in the past few days.
“Kung dati, mid July, straight yung pagtaas ng kaso. In the past few days, nag exponential (If before, mid July, the increase in cases was straight. In the past few days, it has been exponential),” he said.
“Definitely, hindi iyan ang epekto pa ng ECQ natin (Definitely, that’s not the effect of our ECQ),” he added.
Extend ECQ
As the number of infected patients continue to rise, the hospital official recommended the extension of ECQ in Metro Manila.
“If you will ask the medical personnel, I think we still have to extend this (ECQ),” Francisco said.
“This is purely on the medical aspect kasi ngayon pa lang namin natatanggap yung mga increasing case from the community (because we have only started to accept increasing cases from the community),” he added.