PH now has 75 COVID-19 referral hospitals that can take in 3,194 patients

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has now designated 75 COVID-19 referral hospitals that can house a total of 3,194 patients, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual press briefing on Monday.

Before this, the DOH had only designated three COVID-19 hospitals —  the Philippine General Hospital in Manila, the Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City, and Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium in Caloocan City.

According to the President’s third weekly report to Congress on the government’s COVID-19 response, the breakdown of the number of hospital beds dedicated to COVID-19 patients in public and private hospitals are as follows:

• National Capital Region – 2,031 beds
• Luzon – 544 beds
• Visayas – 370 beds
• Mindanao – 249 beds

The country also now has temporary treatment and monitoring facilities with 4,413 beds, Vergeire went on.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III had also visited two passenger ships that would be used as quarantine facilities for repatriated overseas Filipino workers, Vergeire added.

The two ships can accommodate a total of 1,100 individuals, she said.

To date, the DOH has so far confirmed 4,932 COVID-19 cases in the country, of whom 315 have died and 242 have recovered.

/atm