COTABATO CITY – Rural health units (RHUs) in Lanao del Sur must accept patients infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) following a surge in admission in major hospitals the past two weeks.
The 200-bed Amai Pakpak Medical Center (APMC), the biggest government hospital serving Marawi City and the Lanao del Sur province, has temporarily ceased admission of COVID-19 patients after reaching full bed capacity.
Lanao del Sur is part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which also includes the provinces of Maguindanao, Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi; the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan and Marawi; and the 63 villages in six towns of North Cotabato.
In a public announcement Tuesday, Dr. Shalimar Rakiin, APMC chief of hospital, said the facility has reached maximum capacity.
“The COVID-19 wards and intensive care unit of our hospital has reached its full capacity following the ongoing surge of COVID-19 cases,” Rakiin said, adding that their supply of medical equipment is also running low.
“We regret to notify the public that we are experiencing a shortage of medical oxygen supply since our suppliers can no longer provide our needed oxygen requirement,” she added.
Rakiin said the hospital remains at reduced operating capacity to prioritize the needs of admitted patients.
“We humbly request the public to immediately seek medical care to the nearest RHUs or other medical facilities in your area,” she said.
On Sunday, three areas in Lanao del Sur – Marawi City, and the towns of Wao and Ditsaan-Ramain – imposed granular lockdowns on a number of their villages due to rising infections.