DOH orders Metro Manila hospitals prepare more beds for COVID-19 patients
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday asked hospitals in Metro Manila to prepare more beds for COVID-19 patients as coronavirus infections continued to increase.
“The hospitals were instructed to comply with the 30% standard [allocation for COVID-19 beds] and to be prepared to implement an additional 20% surge capacity, if and when needed. We are continuously ramping up our capacities to match the changing needs,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a televised press briefing.
She also announced that 11 hospitals in Metro Manila had reached the full capacity of beds in their COVID-19-dedicated intensive care units.
Vergeire explained that COVID-19 beds made up only a portion of a hospitals’ total bed capacity.
As of July 4, Metro Manila’s critical care utilization was at 63.41% — higher from the national rate of 38.75%.
According to the DOH, the capital region’s care utilization rate is within the “moderate risk” level.
Article continues after this advertisementThere are currently 46,333 COVID-19 cases nationwide, including 12,185 recoveries and 1,303 deaths.
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For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
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