MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila’s occupancy rate for intensive care unit (ICU) beds dedicated for COVID-19 patients is 74 percent, categorized by the Department of Health (DOH) as high risk.
Data from the DOH as of March 24 showed that the occupancy for COVID-19 ward hospital beds in the region is at 52 percent, classified as low risk, while the isolation beds are at 66 percent or moderate risk.
Fifty-two percent of mechanical ventilators are currently being used, a figure also classified as low risk.
While most DOH hospitals have reached the 50-percent mark from the prescribed bed allocation, public hospitals in Metro Manila are at only 33 percent of authorized bed capacity for COVID-19 dedicated beds, while private hospitals are only at 21 percent.
The health department also said that the One Hospital Command Center (OHCC), headed by treatment czar and Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega, has been directed to identify the needs of hospitals for them to expand their bed capacities to 30 percent for private hospitals and 50 percent for public hospitals.
The DOH said this is in accordance with the surge capacity allocation specified under its Administrative Order 2020-016-A.
“The DOH, through the One Hospital Command Center, is also facilitating the transfer of asymptomatic and mild patients admitted in hospitals to dedicated quarantine and isolation facilities in order to decongest the hospitals,” the department added.
Metro Manila currently has 48,516 active COVID-19 cases, 237,719 recoveries, and 4,946 coronavirus-related deaths.
Nationwide, the total number of COVID-19 cases swelled to 693,048 on Thursday, following the detection of 8,773 additional cases—a new record-high. Of the sum, 99,891 are active cases, 580,062 are recoveries and 13,095 are deaths.
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