MANILA, Philippines — The country’s healthcare system can still make room amid the surge of coronavirus cases since the nationwide hospital utilization rate remains below 70 percent and yet to collapse, according to Dr. Ted Herbosa, special adviser to the National Task Force Against COVID-19.
Herbosa, however, also admitted there is “overcapacity” in hospitals located within localities with a high number of COVID-19 cases such as Metro Manila.
“Nakaka-adjust pa naman. If you look at the numbers, our national hospital utilization rate is still below 70 percent… Hindi pa ‘yan collapse,” Herbosa said during the Laging Handa briefing on Wednesday.
Herbosa explained that hospitals are currently in a period called “surge capacity” that has led to overcrowding and overcapacity in healthcare facilities.
Still, he said: “Hindi naman [collapse] kasi gumagana pa ang mga ospital. When you say collapse, ang tawag namin dyan sa disaster medicine ay ‘yung functional collapse. Hindi na magamot ang mga tao, namamatay na ‘yung mga hindi dapat mamatay,” Herbosa said.
A case of “healthcare system collapse” was when Typhoon Haiyan – locally known as Super Typhoon Yolanda – hit the country in 2013 and pummelled Tacloban City, Herbosa noted.
“Kung sasabihin ninyong nag-collapse na, hindi pa. Ang nag-collapse ‘yung kagaya nung Typhoon Haiyan. ‘Yung health system doon, talagang wasak ‘yung mga ospital, walang gamot, ‘yun ‘yung tinatawag na health system collapse,” Herbosa said.
In a television interview, Dr. Jaime Almora of the Philippine Hospital Administration said the country has already lost in its battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, pointing out that hospitals are already overwhelmed by the recent surge in cases.
The Department of Health (DOH) earlier ordered public and private hospitals to increase their COVID-19 bed allocation to 50 and 30 percent respectively. However, health experts have pointed out that increasing bed allocation alone is not enough as manpower also needs to be increased.