A portion of two wards at UP-PGH dedicated to COVID-19 patients. (File / Contributed photo)
MANILA, Philippines — Government hospitals in Metro Manila are not yet experiencing any shortage of beds and equipment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, the Department of Health assured Monday.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said isolation beds in government hospitals in Metro Manila are 68% occupied; ward beds, 79%; ICU beds, 51%, and 29.8% of mechanical ventilators are utilized.
“So marami pa, mayroon pa rin tayong nakikitang room kung sakaling tumaas pa ‘yung kaso natin,” she told reporters in a media forum.
(We can still find room should there be another spike on COVID-19 cases.)
She added that while there is no shortage of COVID-19 facilities in government hospitals, critical care resources are already at “moderate risk” level.
Claims that hospitals are already at full capacity due to COVID-19 should be interpreted carefully since it only means that facilities specifically for COVID-19 are used, and not the whole hospital.
Vergeire said hospitals are required to allot 30% of their resources for COVID-19 cases. Not all hospitals, however, have complied.
The DOH is set to meet with officials of government hospitals to discuss issues related to the coronavirus pandemic.
As of July 5, there are 44,254 confirmed COVID-19 cases .
A total of 11,942 patients have recovered while 1,297 others have died.