38 of 130 medical facilities in NCR in ‘danger zone’ if COVID cases surge

CALL THEM ‘Q BANDS’ A Caloocan City barangay health worker in full protective gear shows off a bunch of quarantine bands that the city government has decided to put on the wrists of residents who have been exposed to COVID-19 patients and are on quarantine for easy monitoring. INQUIRER file photo / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — Thirty-eight out of 130 medical centers in Metro Manila are in danger of being overwhelmed when it comes to handling a surge of coronavirus disease cases as most of their facilities to treat patients infected with COVID-19 are mostly occupied, according to data of Department of Health (DOH).

The data was based on the DOH’s tracker for COVID-19 bed capacity in Metro Manila Hospitals as of Sept. 16.

In an interview with INQUIRER.net, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the reporting of bed occupancy would determine whether a health facility is capable enough to handle the surge of COVID-19 cases in their area.

“When DOH reports utilization, these are for dedicated COVID-19 beds in health facilities and their capacity to handle cases in case there is a surge,” Vergeire said in a text message.

“Therefore, if less than 30%, the facility is ‘safe’ in case of surge, 30-70% ‘warning’ in case of surge, and 70% in ‘danger’ of being full in case of surge,” she added.

Vergeire underscored that their data is only for COVID-19 beds, which means there is a separate data for facilities meant for treating other illnesses.

“We also highlight that these are for COVID-19 dedicated beds only, and not necessarily the total beds of the hospital,” she said.

Meanwhile, 55 health centers are under “warning level” and 37 are under “safe level” in case coronavirus infections increase.

Hospitals that are under “warning level” are Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC) in Santa Cruz, Manila; Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City; The Medical City (TMC) in Pasig; University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) in Ermita, Manila; St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City in Taguig; and San Lazaro Hospital in Tayuman, Manila.

INQUIRER.net collected the most recent data available on DOH COVID-19 tracker for bed capacity which is dated Sept. 16. Only hospitals in Metro Manila, which have COVID-19 beds, were included in this story.

‘Danger level’

Based on the presented data at DOH COVID-19 tracker for hospital beds, the following are under danger zone:

Adventist Medical Center – 73.9 percent
Allied Care Experts Medical Center Valenzuela Inc. – 100 percent
Cardinal Santos Medical Center – 71.2 percent
F.Y. Manalo Medical Foundation, INC. – 95.5 percent
Hospital of the Infant Jesus Medical Center – 100 percent
Las Piñas Doctors Hospital –  86.7 percent
Las Piñas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center – 73.9 percent
Makati Medical Center – 100 percent
Marikina Valley Medical Center- 80 percent
Mary Chiles Hospital – 100 percent
Medical Center Manila – 87.2 percent
Medical Center Muntinlupa – 100 percent
Medical Center Taguig – 64.7 percent
Metro North Medical Center and Hospital – 100 percent
National Center for Mental Health – 100 percent
National Kidney and Transplant Institute – 89.8 percent
Novaliches District Hospital – 100 percent
Ospital ng Muntinlupa – 98.5 percent
Pacific Global Medical Center – 77.8 percent
Philippine Children’s Medical Center –  100 percent
Providence Hospital – 81.3 percent
Quezon City General Hospital – 77.2 percent
Quirino Memorial Medical Center – 83.3 percent
Rosario Maclang Bautista Hospital – 100 percent
SDS Medical Center –  100 percent
St. Victoria Hospital – 100 percent
Sta. Ana Hospital in Manila – 100 percent
Taguig Pateros District Hospital – 100 percent
Tondo Medical Center – 76.7 percent
Tricity Medical Center Inc. – 100 percent
U.E.R.M. Memorial Hospital – 72.7 percent
University of Perpetual Help Dalta Medical Center Inc. – 100 percent
University of Santo Tomas Hospital – 100 percent
Valenzuela Citicare Medical Center Timog Hilaga Providence Group Inc.  – 90 percent
Valenzuela City Emergency Hospital – 100 percent
Veterans Memorial Medical Center – 97. 5 percent
Victoriano Luna Medical Center – 100 percent
World Citi Medical Center – 73.5 percent

‘Warning level’

Here are health facilities under “warning level” or those with COVID-19 beds that are close to being overwhelmed:

Allied Care Experts Medical Center in Pateros – 43.8 percent
Allied Care Experts Medical Center in Quezon City – 32 percent
Caloocan City Medical Center – 41.1 percent
Capitol Medical Center Inc. – 50.7 percent
Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center – 61.1 percent
Commonwealth Hospital and Medical Center – 66.2 percent
De Los Santos Medical Center – 48.8 percent
Diliman Doctors Hospital Inc. – 54.1 percent
Dr. Fe Del Mundo Medical Center – 51.8 percent
Dr. Jesus C Delgado Memorial Hospital – 56.3 percent
Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital – 32.4 percent
Dr. Montano G. Ramos General Hospital Corporation – No occupied beds
Dr. Victor R. Potenciano Medical Center – 59.5 percent
E. Zarate Hospital – 50 percent
East Avenue Medical Center – 54.5 percent
Fatima University Medical Center Corporation – 52.4 percent
FEU- DR. Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation Inc. – 38.9 percent
Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center – 60 percent
Holy Life Hospital – 50 percent
Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center – 48.9 percent
Justice Jose Abad General Hospital – 48.9 percent
Las Piñas City Medical Center – 37.5 percent
Lung Center of the Philippines – 64.4 percent
Mandaluyong City Medical Center – 41.4 percent
Mary Johnston Hospital Inc. – 69 percent
MCU-FDT Medical Foundation Hospital – 66.7 percent
Metropolitan Medical Center – 54.1 percent
National Children’s Hospital- 58.3 percent
Navotas City Hospital- 56.3 percent
Novaliches General Hospital – 50 percent
Ospital ng Makati- 54.6 percent
Ospital ng Malabon – 30 percent
Ospital ng Sampaloc – 44.4 percent
Ospital ng Tondo- 30.8 percent
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Inc. – 45.7 percent
Pasay City General Hospital- 50 percent
Pasig City Children’s Hospital Hope – 63.7 percent
Pasig City General Hospital – 62.5 percent
Pasig Doctors Medical Center Inc. – 62.5 percent
Philippine Heart Center – 36.1 percent
Philippine Orthopedic Center – 36.4 percent
Pope John Paul II Hospital and Medical Center Inc. – 34.4 percent
Research Institute and Tropical Medicine – 63.6 percent
Rizal Medical Center – 65. 8 percent
San Juan De Dios Educational Foundation – 40 percent
San Juan Medical Center – 53.5 percent
San Lazaro Hospital – 38.7 percent
St. Clare’s Medical Center – 66.7 percent
St. Luke’s Medical Center, Quezon City – 56 percent
St. Luke’s Medical Center Taguig – 58.5 percent
The Medical City – 53.2 percent
UHBI-Parañaque Doctors Hospital Inc. – 50 percent
Unihealth Parañaque Hospital and Medical Center Inc. – 44.1 percent
University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital – 52.4 percent
Valenzuela Medical Center – 54.1 percent

‘Safe level’

Here are the health centers that are marked as “safe” in case there is a sudden influx of COVID-19 cases in their area:

A Zarate Hospital – No occupied beds
Air Force General Hospital – 27.2 percent
Alabang Medical Clinic Las Piñas branch – No occupied beds
Alabang Medical Clinic Muntinlupa branch – 25 percent
Alfonso Hospital Specialist Hospital – No occupied beds
Cabarles Maternity Medical and Children’s Clinic – No occupied beds
Caloocan City North Medical Center
Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo Station Hospital – 2.9 percent
Christ the King Medical Center UniHealth Las Piñas Inc. – No occupied beds
D.T. Protacio Hospital – No occupied beds
De Ocampo Memorial Medical Center- No occupied beds
Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital – 9.8 percent
Foundation of Our Lady of Peace Mission Inc. Our Lady of Peace Hospital – No occupied beds
Gen. Miguel Malvar Medical Research Foundation Inc. – No occupied beds
Jesus Immaculate Concepcion Hospital – No occupied beds
Manila Doctors Hospital – 18.2 percent
Manila Naval Hospital- 20.8 percent
Marikina Doctors Hospital and Medical Center – No occupied beds
Marikina St. Vincent General Hospital Inc. – No occupied beds
MCPC St. Therese of Lisieux Doctors Hospital – No occupied beds
Medical Center Parañaque. – 11.1 percent safe
Mission Hospital- No occupied beds
Olivarez General Hospital Inc. – 21.4 percent
Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center – 21.2 percent
Salve Regina General Hospital – No occupied beds
San Lorenzo Hospital Health Management – No occupied beds
San Lorenzo Ruiz Women’s Hospital – 25 percent
Seamen’s Hospital – 28.6 percent
St. Camillus Medical Center – 15.4 percent
St. Jude General Hospital and Medical Center – No occupied beds
Tagig Doctors hospital – No occupied beds
The Premier Medical Center – No occupied beds
United Doctors Medical Center- No occupied beds
University of the Philippines Health Service – No occupied beds
Vian Family Hospital II – No occupied beds
Villarosa Hospital Inc. – No occupied beds
VT Maternity Hospital – No occupied beds

Bed types

The DOH data also showed the total capacity of different types of hospital beds namely, ward beds, isolation beds and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds. The number of mechanical ventilators were also recorded by the DOH.

Vergeire explained that ward beds are used for COVID-19 cases with mild or moderate symptoms, which means these types of patients can be put together inside one room.

Isolation beds have their own room, toilet and are usually used for patients who have pending laboratory results to avoid being exposed to other COVID-19-infected persons, Vergeire added.

ICU beds, meanwhile, are used for patients under critical condition because the patients need machines and direct care with doctors and nurses.

“We monitor all types to understand which types of patients and beds are at risk of filling up in case of surge,” Vergeire said.

Mechanical ventilators are used for patients who cannot breathe on their own or have difficulty in breathing, the health official added.

“We monitor mechanical ventilators since COVID19 affects the respiratory system and availability of equipment will be a rate limiting step to providing full treatment to these cases,” Vergeire said.

Under the DOH Administrative Order 2020-0016, at least 30 percent of public hospital beds and 20 percent of private hospital beds should be allotted for COVID-19 cases.

As of Sept. 18 at 4 p.m., Philippines logged 279,526 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 208,790 recoveries and 4,830 fatalities.

JPV/EDV