ILOILO City – Hospitals in this southern city already reached 100-percent intensive care utilization rate (ICUR) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, according to the OCTA Research Group. This means all beds in Intensive Care Units and wards allotted for these cases are now fully occupied.
“Hospitals have been overwhelmed with COVID-19-positive patients who are mostly senior citizens and those with comorbidities. Even the emergency rooms are already full,” Mayor Jerry Treñas confirmed to Panay News.
Iloilo City reached 100 ICUR from June 13 to 19.
It has been averaging 100 new COVID-19 cases daily since late May. Yesterday, active cases reached 2,561.
Treñas appealed to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and National Task Force (NTF) on COVID-19 for additional vaccines, more medical staff and equipment, and medicines. He was joined by businessmen, doctors, educators, lawyers, artists, and the religious, among others.
The latest to issue an appeal was the Iloilo Medical Society (IMS). In a letter to President Rodrigo signed by its president, Dr. Jimmy Kay F. Bullo, all its officers and Board of Directors, the group sought for the following:
* more COVID-19 vaccines
* more medical personnel in both public and private hospitals (doctors, nurses, nursing assistants)
* more medical equipment, especially high flow oxygen cannulas and ventilators
* more medicines, especially Remdesivir
* for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to fulfill its financial obligations to hospitals and other health facilities in Iloilo
“We are respectfully hoping for a quick action…Iloilo is the center of medical care in the island of Panay,” the IMS stressed.
As of June 20, active COVID-19 cases in Iloilo city and province reached 2,561 and 2,480 respectively. Their death tolls also climbed to 252 and 256, respectively.
“As cases and severity increase, medical resources inversely decrease,” the IMS stress stressed.
As for PhilHealth, if it “fails to fulfill its obligations in a timely manner, it will have a great impact to the already burdened health facilities that may even threaten their continued existence.”
If this happens, IMS warned, “Our country may face more serious problems…(W)e know how very important healthcare facilities (are) especially in this time of pandemic.”
Meanwhile, the group underscored the importance of prevention as still the best option to win the battle against COVID-19.
“Preventing the infection is a lot more cost-effective than focusing only on (limiting) our physical movement…(But) with the rollout of COVID-19 (vaccines), we can see light at the end of the tunnel. We hope that with vaccination, soon we can control this plague, and hopefully eradicate it so that we can live and move freely once again,” the IMS added.
Treñas welcomed IMS’ call.
“They are professionals who see the day-to-day challenges our medical frontliners and patients are facing. We are hoping for an immediate response to this plea as we try to protect the lives of our people.”/PN
