KALIBO, Aklan – To tackle the raging pandemic, Aklan governor Florencio Miraflores announced that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) referral facility in the province will increase the capacity of its hospital beds for coronavirus patients.
The 300-bed Dr. Rafael S. Tumbokon Memorial Hospital here will substantially increase its COVID bed capacity from 20 percent to 50 percent.
The Aklan provincial hospital has seen a high bed occupancy rate, particularly in dedicated COVID wards and intensive care unit beds.
The Department of Health (DOH) also directed private hospitals to allocate 20 percent of their bed capacity for COVID-19 patients and if necessary, expand to 30 percent when significant case surges occur.
In addition, the provincial government also urged local government units to reactivate their birthing clinics for provision of health services to pregnant women in these unusual times.
Miraflores noticed that the number of women who give birth in hospitals has increased.
For now, the provincial hospital is also deferring outpatient consultation and elective surgeries and OB-gynaecological procedures as part of the strategy to manage hospital capacity.
The Aklan provincial hospital has seen a continued increase in hospitalization throughout mid-June. More than 75 percent of its 90-bed in COVID-19 wards was occupied.
DOH classified occupancy levels in health facilities as critical, high risk, moderate and safe. Hospitals on safe status if COVID-19 beds are less than 60 percent occupied, while those with 60 to 70 percent bed occupancy are at moderate risk.
High-risk health facilities are those with 70 percent bed occupancy and those with 85 percent bed occupancy are considered critical hospitals./PN
