MANILA, Philippines — After its new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) ward reached full capacity around two weeks ago, a Manila public hospital has been putting new patients in a tent set up at its parking area.
Dr. Ted Martin, director of Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center, said on Wednesday that there were 25 suspected COVID-19 patients in Tent No. 3. There was nowhere else to put them as the COVID-19 ward had ran out of beds two weeks ago. Even the tent they were staying in had a capacity of only 18 people, he added.
According to Martin, other government-funded hospitals could no longer accommodate new patients due to the overwhelming number of cases.
“There’s no choice. You can’t turn away patients. We need to manage to provide treatment for them, even if it’s inside a tent,” he told Inquirer in an interview.
The patients showed moderate symptoms of COVID-19 although there were some with preexisting conditions and pneumonia, according to Martin.
He added that there was also a severe case who was provided with supplemental oxygen while every patient was given an intravenous infusion.
While the tent was air-conditioned, Martin said the patients must be moved to a proper facility. “They really need to be transferred, but the hospitals like Philippine General Hospital and Sta. Ana Hospital are at overcapacity. We don’t have a choice but to manage patients coming in. That’s our dilemma right now,” he said.
The city government-funded hospital in Tondo, Manila, has segregated incoming patients into eight tents. These included suspected cases awaiting swab testing, people consulting pediatricians and pregnant women.