ILOILO City – Hospitals across Western Visayas are ready for a possible post-Christmas surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.
Hospitals’ logistics, beds and mechanical ventilators are being prepared, according to Dr. Jocelyn Te, spokesperson of the Department of Health (DOH) in Region 6.
Medical workers are also ready to cater to firecracker-related injuries and other illnesses.
LOW HCUR
As of Dec. 5, the region’s healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) was low at 25.61 percent – 529 of the 2,066 total beds were occupied.
Data also showed that the HCUR of all provinces and highly urbanized cities in the region were classified as low risk.
As to beds dedicated to coronavirus patients, DOH’s Health System Capacity Monitoring showed a low risk status at 7.95 percent. Thirty-one of the 390 total COVID beds were occupied.
Meantime, of the 146 ICU (intensive care unit) beds, 27.40 percent or 40 beds were occupied, while 441 out of 1,348 isolation beds were utilized.
“Makita man sa aton HCUR manubu na kita, pero wala sila (hospitals) gahatag kompiyansa. Still, they are there, gina-prepare nila ang aton hospital beds and health workers,” Te said.
The DOH officer stressed the importance of vaccination to avoid severe COVID and hospitalization.
“Nakita naton sa data nagnubu gid ang aton kaso, especially sa hospital. Because maski malatnan ka, mild lang, indi ka kinanglan i-admit,” Te said./PN
