DAVAO City Health Office (CHO) acting head Dr. Ashley Lopez said they have begun notifying private hospitals in Davao City to get ready following the recent increase in Covid-19 cases.
He said during a radio interview on May 19 that the increase in Covid-19 patients being admitted to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) has been increasing and could result in an overspill.
Based on the SPMC Covid-19 Daily Statistics, 34 of the 35 intensive care unit (ICU) beds designated for Covid-19 patients were occupied from May 17 to 18. As of May 19, 28 of the 35 remains occupied.
Meanwhile, occupancy for the 347 ward beds for Covid-19 patients has also been increasing. On May 17, 244 beds were occupied. Occupancy increased to 248 on May 18 and then 253 on May 19.
It should be noted that SPMC is not only catering to Covid-19 cases from Davao City but also from other provinces, cities, and municipalities in Davao Region.
At present, SPMC is the only Covid-19 referral hospital in Davao City. Covid-19 patients were not referred anymore to private hospitals after the city experienced a downtrend of Covid-19 cases around February and March. However, Lopez said some private hospitals have still reportedly admitted Covid-19 patients, but only those paying patients who opted not to be admitted at SPMC.
The increasing number of Covid-19 patients being admitted at SPMC and private hospitals being notified to be ready for another possible surge is a reminder to the general public that we are not out of the woods yet.
Covid-19 continues to spread in the city and as we always remind the public, let us not be complacent.
Our health system and health workers are spread thinly and working overtime. The complacency and lack of discipline of some in following minimum health standards will not help them and cause more problems.
The increase in cases could drive us into another strict quarantine and cause us the economy.
The minimum health standards are not complicated. It is simply wearing face masks, observing social distancing, and washing hands regularly. This may also include us avoiding gathering as a large group.
It is following these minimum health standards that reduce our risks of either spreading the disease or getting infected by it. Through this, we also do our part in helping keep the number of cases low.