DOH: Healthcare use improving; ICU use in 3 regions at high risk

INQUIRER.net stock images

MANILA, Philippines — The overall healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) in the country is improving but the intensive care unit (ICU) utilization in three regions is at high risk, the Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday.

Dr. Alethea De Guzman, OIC-Director of the DOH Epidemiology Bureau, said no region is classified as high risk for HCUR, but for the ICU occupancy, Western Visayas, Davao Region, and Cagayan Valley are currently at high-risk level.

“May pag-improve sa HCUR sa ngayon. Wala tayong high risk na lugar in terms of their healthcare utilization, subalit mayroon tayong tatlong rehiyon kung saan ang kanilang ICU utilization ay high risk na,” she told an online media forum.

(We have an improving HCUR now. No region is under high risk for healthcare utilization, but three regions are under high risk for their ICU utilization.)

Data presented by De Guzman showed that ICU utilization is at 81.63 percent in Western Visayas, 81.12 percent in Davao Region, and 72.36 percent in Cagayan Valley.

For the overall HCUR which covers other hospital beds, the figure is 63.46 percent in Western Visayas, 68.97 percent in Davao Region, and 52.56 percent in Cagayan Valley.

Nationwide, the HCUR is at 46.51 percent and the ICU utilization is at 55.24 percent. The country is now classified as low risk for COVID-19 case trend after recording a negative nine two-week growth rate and a lower average daily attack rate (ADAR).

Western Visayas and Davao Region are among the four regions classified as high risk for COVID-19 case trend, together with Soccsksargen and Eastern Visayas. Cagayan Valley, on the other hand, is still at low risk for the case trend because of its negative growth rate and lower ADAR.

De Guzman identified 18 areas with high-risk two-week growth rates and ADAR but have lower HCUR.

She said 12 areas have high to critical HCUR or ICU utilization but are still at low-risk classification for COVID-19 case trend because of negative growth rate in cases and low ADAR.

/MUF