A hospital scenario captured by an employee at a government hospital in Quezon City. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Fourteen of the 32 COVID-19 referral centers are at critical risk classification for their healthcare utilization (HCUR) as the country sees a surge in coronavirus cases due to the Delta variant, data of the Department of Health (DOH) released on Tuesday showed.
According to DOH data as of September 5, HCUR was at 100 percent in Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and Amai Pakpak Medical Center, 99 percent in Southern Philippines Medical Center and Region I Medical Center, and 96 percent in National Kidney Transplant Institute, Lung Center of the Philippines, and Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.
HCUR is also at critical risk in Quirino Memorial Medical Center and Philippine General Hospital at 95 percent, Batangas Medical Center at 92 percent, Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital and Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center at 91 percent, and Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital at 89 percent, and Cagayan Valley Medical Center at 86 percent.
HCUR is considered a critical risk if it reaches more than 85 percent.
Meanwhile, HCUR is at high risk in six other hospitals. These are Western Visayas Medical Center at 77 percent, Northern Mindanao Medical Center at 75 percent, Cotabato Regional and Medical Center at 76 percent, San Lazaro Hospital at 71 percent, and Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center at 70 percent.
HCUR is categorized as high risk if it ranges from 70 to 85 percent.
Overall, beds in the 32 COVID-19 referral centers in the Philippines are 80 percent occupied. DOH data showed there are a total of 6,808 COVID-19 dedicated beds in the said facilities. Of the total number of beds, 5,435 are already being utilized amid the surge in cases.
Meanwhile, 79 percent or 1,440 or 1,815 ICU beds in these facilities are occupied. A total of 608 or 63 percent of 966 mechanical ventilators are also currently being utilized.
The country currently has 159,633 active COVID-19 cases, including the 22,415 additional cases recorded on Monday—the highest single-day increase since the pandemic started.