AMID the recent detection of a new Covid-19 variant in the country, the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) is prepared for a possible surge of cases in the city.
SPMC chief Dr. Ricardo Audan told SunStar Davao in a phone interview that they are not taking the news lightly regarding the recent detection of Omicron subvariant BF.7 in the country.
Audan said that while Covid-19 cases in the hospital remain at a "safe level", he said, adding that they are already preparing rooms to be converted into Covid-19-designated wards in the time of a surge.
"Naa mi standing policy or manual na in case of a surge, mao ni abrihan ug mga bawion na ward (We have standing policy or manual in case of surge, we will open or convert rooms into ward)," the official said.
SPMC, the lone Covid-19 referral hospital in Davao City, currently has around 300 beds for Covid-19 patients. This is a huge reduction from the 1,200 beds during the peak surge of cases in early 2022.
In terms of bed utilization, Audan said the intensive care unit beds are at 42 percent occupancy, while ward isolation is at 31 percent.
The hospital’s Covid-19 positivity rate is at eight percent, slightly higher than the five percent threshold indicating that the Covid-19 situation in a particular locality is manageable.
As of now, most admissions in the hospitals are non-Covid-related cases.
Meanwhile, Audan reiterated that the Covid-19 vaccination and a large number of the vaccinated population not only in the city but in the entire region had contributed to the low admission of Covid-patients.
He said most patients who succumbed to the virus are those unvaccinated and incomplete doses. Thus, reiterating the importance of getting vaccinated, especially with the pandemic's uncertainty and the virus's continuous mutation. RGL