BACOLOD City – Since its creation in September, the One Hospital Command Center (OHCC) of the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) recorded its lowest hospital capacity utilization rate (CUR).
EOC’s Dec. 4 data showed that all seven hospitals in the metro only reported an overall 38.79 percent CUR – lower than the day prior, which was also relatively low at 45.23 percent.
Also, according to OHCC administrative officer Dr. Claire Capiral, only 78 of 201 beds have been used for that day, leaving 123 more beds to accommodate incoming patients.
Of the 78 patients, 42 were from Bacolod City while the remaining 36 were from other cities and towns in Negros Occidental, Capiral said.
Dr. Hector Gayares, EOC deputy for medical, said admission rate of patients who tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) steadily declined.
He noted that in September, the CUR of Bacolod hospitals was on its peak at 91 percent. It eventually decreased at the end of the same month at 70 percent.
On Oct. 7, the admission rate continued to go down at 67 percent.
“When the number of cases of COVID-19 goes down, the CUR in the hospitals also goes down,” Gayares said.
For his part, Inter-Agency Task Force – Visayas chief implementer, retired Major General Melquiades Feliciano, said Bacolod City “has flattened the curve” in the fight against COVID-19.
“What a gratifying result with all your hard work, Bacolod EOC. Bacolod City is one of the safest places in the country now,” Feliciano added.
Supervising the work of the EOC since early September, Feliciano said adopting the OHCC has resulted to the decongestion of hospitals of COVID-19 patients.
The healthcare facilities under the OHCC include the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center, Bacolod Queen of Mercy Hospital, Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital, Metro Bacolod Hospital and Medical Center, South Bacolod General Hospital, The Doctors’ Hospital, and Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.
Data released by the Department of Health Region 6 on Dec. 3 showed that Bacolod only recorded four new cases with 19 recoveries and 229 total active cases.
“The numbers are reflecting all your efforts. The fresh cases, probables and death data are telling the story. Keep up the good work,” said Melquiades’ wife Mia, who also helps in supervising the Bacolod EOC.
City Administrator Em Ang, EOC executive director and deputy for administration and operations, hopes Bacolod City could sustain the downward trend of cases until authorities got a hold of vaccines against the viral illness. (Bacolod City PIO/PN)
