Patients ‘almost die’ waiting for Kalibo hospital beds to free up, says mayor
MANILA, Philippines — Kalibo, Aklan mayor Emerson Lachica on Wednesday confirmed reports that some COVID-19 patients are “almost dying” outside the provincial hospital while waiting for vehicles and ambulances that would take them to hospitals.
“Parang ganun na nga,” Lachica said over Teleradyo when asked to confirm if there are patients who are almost dying in ambulances because the provincial hospital is at full capacity.
“Sa provincial hospital kasi ‘yung nakapila doon, iba nasa sasakyan, so need talaga ang tulong ng ating national government sa sitwasyon namin dito sa bayan ng Kalibo,” Lachica added.
(In our provincial hospitals, those patients who are lined up are inside their vehicles. We need the help of the national government in our situation here in Kalibo.)
The local chief executive said that aside from the provincial hospital, there are four other private hospitals in Kalibo.
“Yung ibang mga private hospitals din, halos 90 to 95 percent na din na, fully occupied na, yung mga beds natin sa hospital,” he pointed out.
(The private hospitals here, almost 90 to 95 percent full, the beds in their hospital are already fully occupied.)
Lachica also called for the national government to give them at least 50,000 vaccine doses as well as additional personnel to the provincial hospital.
Kalibo, which has a population of more than 89,000, has 421 active cases, 1,783 recoveries and 81 deaths as of Wednesday, according to a case tally shared by Kalibo Vice Mayor Cynthia Dela Cruz.
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Lachica on Tuesday also confirmed that Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores ordered all municipal mayors of the province to find burial grounds for deceased COVID-19 patients as its partner-crematorium in Iloilo City suspended its operations.
Miraflores also said in a separate interview that he is looking to request for enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to stem the spread of the new coronavirus.
The province of Aklan is currently under modified ECQ since Sunday due to increasing cases in the province.
