NEVER have so many people been inside the intensive care unit of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in Bacolod City.
There, where the critical patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are kept, it is quiet.
There are no families talking among themselves. The patients are unconscious, eyes closed under a loose braid of tubes.
But there is an orchestra of medical monitors that marks the tempo with an endless series of soft, distinct beeps.
The tension is palpable.
Dr. Julius Drilon is among the few who have been inside the ICU wards, though almost unrecognizable behind his masks, scrubs, gloves, and protective suit.
It was in the first week of March when Drilon, 62, received an urgent call. His ward at the hospital was about to admit its first COVID-19 patient.
Since that day more than seven months ago, the CLMMRH chief has worked nonstop with doctors and other specialists, followed by rounds to check on various patients. Days and hours have bled into each other. His world has completely been upended by the coronavirus pandemic.
To date, Bacolod City accounts for almost 31 percent of the total tally of COVID-19 cases in Western Visayas. Though the rate of infections slowly stabilized in the past three weeks, it continues logging a daily record number of confirmed cases. On Saturday, Oct. 25, there were 18 new cases. More than 4,700 people have coronavirus in the metro thus far.
“The day to day grind to address the never ending issues how to make things better for our healthcare workers and the clients who seek care is tiring but made us tougher and more determined,” says the internal medicine physician.
Drilon is not new to his line of work. He spent almost nine years in the same hospital but nothing prepared him and his colleagues for the rise of the new disease.
His work exposes him to the risk of contracting the virus. And the thought that he could carry it with him when he goes home is simply too much to bear.
But as a hospital chief, he knows he can’t show weakness. He’s not allowed to show fear.
“Do not let fear and panic guide our actions. By using our greatest weapon, our inherent human intelligence, and understanding of the characteristic of the coronavirus, by listening to the foot soldiers sound decision and bold actions can be made,” says Drilon.
While concerned about his own safety, the physician also worries about the rest of his colleagues.
“When I see our fellow workers struggle to cope together with their families, the tragedy that this dreaded disease has brought to the world, I need to squeeze every ounce of my empathy. Letting our guard down can spell disaster,” he shares.
There are never really good days inside a hospital. In the time of coronavirus, there are just bad days and even worse days with no end in sight. With groundhog days full of circles and loops, Drilon shares what replenishes his zeal.
“How to make things better, the determination to have zero casualty, and that all lives matter elevates my adrenaline level,” Drilon says.
The CLMMRH is the only tertiary government hospital serving the whole province of Negros Occidental. It has been rapidly dedicating more and more space to virus care. Now, 74 of 400 beds are devoted to such patients – and Drilon says the hospital may soon add more beds to treating those with the virus.
For now, operational sustainability is one of the key factors in fighting the infections, according to Drilon.
“Managing moderate to severe cases –15 to 20 percent of our admissions – needs intensive care. With a reimbursement from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. remains to be desired, support from the local and national governments should be sustained. The fact remains that we still admit non-COVID-19 cases and this constitute 75 percent of our admissions,” the doctor shares.
“However, because of a very strong community transmission, we are forced to limit tertiary non-COVID cases, for emergency and emerging emergency cases only. With our dwindling supplies, we hope local government unit support will be strengthened,” says Drilon.
When asked what makes him smile amid these challenging times, Drilon says he finds joy and fulfillment in what he does right now as the CLMMRH chief.
He knows very well that the war against coronavirus is far from over. No medicine has been approved, so far, and potential vaccines are still in the works. There’s no telling when the COVID-19 crisis in the world would reach its peak.
“I treat every day as a challenge and when I see things fall into the right places as planned, knowing that these actions can make a difference in each of our lives gives me joy because deep inside me, I know I did something good for my fellowmen and women,” the doctor says./PN
