DOH allocates additional COVID beds for NCR, Regions II, Calabarzon, Davao

Health Sec. Francisco Duque.
INQUIRER file photo / MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has provided additional COVID-19 beds in the regions of Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Davao, and Metro Manila to beef up health systems’ capacity in preparation for the Christmas season.

In a statement on Thursday, the DOH reported that 80 beds were given to public hospitals while 65 were provided to private hospitals in the National Capital Region bringing the total to 6,700 in the metro.

The remaining beds had been distributed to hospitals in Cagayan, Calabarzon, and Davao bringing the total COVID-19 dedicated beds in these regions to 3,791.

“As the holiday season poses a potential increase in cases, we will not let our guards down. We are unequivocally prepared for any circumstances that this Yuletide season may bring. We have also increased our COVID-19 beds capacity in different regions with high-risk classifications to prevent saturation in our hospitals,” Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque explained.

As of November 30, the country has a total of 21,947 beds dedicated for COVID-19 patients which is 20% of the licensed hospital beds in the nation. Based on the latest report, the Philippines’s overall COVID bed utilization remains at low risk and is continually trending downward.

“Patuloy po nating pinalalakas ang ating health system capacity at nakikita po natin na nagbubunga ang ating mga inisyatiba, ngunit alam din natin na itong mga numero ay maaaring magbago anytime. Kahit na bumababa ang ating utilization, hindi po ito irreversible.”, Duque said.

(We are continually strengthening our health system and we can see that the efforts are bearing fruit but we are still wary that the numbers can change at any time. Even if utilization is decreasing we know that it is not reversible)

“Kaya hindi po tayo tumitigil, lalong-lalo na ngayong kapaskuhan at bagong taon, sa pagpapalakas po ng ating tugon sa pandemyang COVID-19 at pagpapaunlad ng ating kapasidad pangkalusugan,” Sec. Duque assured.

(We will not stop improving especially with the coming Christmas season in our efforts to combat COVID-19 and in strengthening our health system.) Miggy Dumlao, INQUIRER.net trainee

JPV