As the Philippines is once again facing another surge in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, medical frontliners appealed to the government to intensify its responses against the pandemic as the country’s healthcare system is currently under immense pressure.
“Nangyayari na ang matagal na nating kinatatakutan at iniiwasan. Hindi na kayang tugunan ng ating healthcare system ang mga kaso ng COVID-19 (What we have long feared is already happening. Our healthcare system can no longer handle COVID-19 cases),” said Philippine College of Physicians President Dr. Maricar Limpin in a press briefing on Friday, Sept. 3.
Some hospitals are already refusing to admit patients as their facilities are already overwhelmed, said Philippine College of Emergency Medicine (PCEM) member Jeremy Cordero.
“Masasabi ko po sa aking karanasan na talagang malubha na po ang sitwasyon namin. May mga panahon na kailangan na po naming humindi sa mga pasyente na agaw buhay dahil wala na po kaming kama sa emergency department (I can say from my experience that our situation is really serious. There are times when we have to refuse patients who are already on a brink of death because we no longer have beds in the emergency department),” said Cordero.
Overwhelmed hospitals are converting their other facilities---even parking lots into patient treatment areas just to accommodate COVID-19 cases, the frontliners said.
“Umaaapaw na ang mga tao sa emergency departments, hanggang pasilyo at parking lot na ng mga hospital ang mga pasyente (Emergency rooms are overflowing with patients. Some patients are already in the hallways and parking lots of hospitals),” said Limpin.
“Yung mga pasyente, hindi nalang po doon sa labas ng ER---nandoon na po sa parking lot, sa harap ng ospital---kung saan pong espasyo ang kaya naming lagyan, nilalagyan po namin (The patients are not just outside the ER --- some of them are being accommodated in the parking lot, in front of the hospital --- any space that is available, we convert it),” said Agusan Del Sur Provincial Health Officer Jacqueline Frances Momville.
Some patients have died in their homes and were not able to receive medical treatment, said Limpin.
“Maraming hindi nakakaabot at namamatay na lamang sa bahay o sa sasakyan habang palipat-lipat na naghahanap ng bakanteng kama (Many were not able to reach hospitals and just die at home or in their car while moving around looking for a vacant hospital bed),” she said.
‘We’re sorry’
The frontliners apologized to patients who were refused hospital admission.
“Nagdudugo ang aming puso at humihingi kami ng patawad sa mga pasyenteng kinailangan tanggihan dahil hindi na kayang maadmit sa mga hospital (Our hearts are hurting and we apologize to the patients who had to be rejected because they could no longer be admitted to hospitals),” said Limpin.
“Napakahirap sabihin sa mga kamag-anak, pasyente na hindi na po namin kayo matatanggap dahil wala na po kaming kama pero ito na po kasi ang kailangan namin gawin (It is very difficult to tell to the relatives or patients that we can no longer accept them because we no longer have a bed---but this is what we need to do),” said Cordero.
Contact tracing, medical equipment
The frontliners urged the government to improve its contact tracing capacity.
“Higit isang taon na po, nasaan na ang mga solusyon sa aming isinulong (It's been more than a year, where are the solutions we are advocating)? When will we see contact tracing efforts digitized, connected, and interoperable?,” said Health Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19 (HPAAC) member Dr. Aileen Espina.
“Meron tayong eksperto at teknolohiya para gawin ito. Ang kulang ay political will at kumpas mula sa ating mga namumuno (We have experts and technology to do it. What is lacking is political will),” she added.
Cordero also urged the government to provide additional medical equipment to hospitals such as mechanical ventilators, oxygen tanks, high-flow nasal cannula, among others.
“Parang awa niyo na po. Sana matulungan niyo po kami. Sana magkaisa po tayo para sa ikabubuti ng ating bansa (We're pleading. I hope you can help us. I hope we can unite for the good of our country),” he said.
Stringent community quarantine?
Unlike in the past, the medical frontliners are not asking the government to impose the strictest community quarantine classification this time.
“Dahil tingin namin ito ay call ng ating gobyerno (We think this is our government's call),” said Limpin.
“Kung magdedecide ang gobyerno na magkaroon ng lockdown, ang paikusap namin ay huwag natin gawin ito na half heartedly, gawin po natin ng tama (If the government decides to implement a (hard) lockdown, our plea is not to do it half-heartedly, let's do it properly),” she added.
Limpin asked the public to limit their activities outdoors to minimize their risk of exposure to COVID-19.
“Huwag muna po tayong lumabas ng ating pamamahay kung wala po tayong importanteng gagawin. Kung hindi maiiwasan lumabas, sumunod po tayo sa ating minimum health protocols (Let's not leave our homes if we don't have important things to do. If it is necessary for you to go out, follow our minimum health protocols),” she said.
Limpin said that they will still do their sworn duty to serve patients despite the current situation.
“Despite everything, gagawin namin ang lahat para matulungan ang sino mang manangangailanan ng health care hangga’t kaya ng aming katawan, isip at puso (we will do everything to help anyone in need of health care as much as our body, mind and heart can),” she said.