Mayor Honey Lacuna. —Arnel Tacson, INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna assured the public on Tuesday that there was no outbreak of any contagious disease, which led to two government hospitals in the city to declare they were at full capacity.
According to her, the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center (OMMC) and Gat Andres Bonifacio Medical Center (GABMC) are not turning away patients despite their earlier announcement.
“We are simply informing the public that certain hospitals are currently full so they can seek treatment where they will receive prompt care. It’s crucial to act quickly, especially during emergencies,” said Lacuna, who is also a doctor.
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The OMMC in the Malate district has a 300-bed capacity, while the GABMC in the Tondo district has 200 beds for admitted patients. The two hospitals not only accommodate residents of Manila but also those from nearby cities and provinces.
Despite reaching overcapacity, patients going to the two hospitals would continue to receive “the necessary care and stabilization, while efforts are made to redirect them to other public hospitals with available capacity to ensure timely medical attention,” Lacuña said.
DOH assurance
In a statement on Monday, the Department of Health (DOH) said the two city government-operated hospitals did not report any specific disease or incident that caused them to reach full capacity.
“It is routine and even prudent for hospitals to announce when they are unable to receive any new patients for whatever reason, so that patients in need of care may be diverted to other nearby hospitals,” said Albert Domingo, DOH spokesperson and assistant health secretary.
In a TV interview, the medical directors of the OMMC and GABMC said their wards were full, mostly with children and seniors who were experiencing cough and cold, respiratory infection with fever, as well as dengue.