COVID-19 beds in Bohol hospitals were near full capacity as of Thursday, a Capitol official said amid fears that the increasing hospitalization of patients infected with the respiratory disease would overwhelm the province’s fragile healthcare system.
“Kagahapon gihisgutan gyud na sa Bohol IATF, gi-note mana nato naa sa atong dashboard sa Emergency Operations Center (EOC) na puno-puno ang atoang COVID beds sa Gallares, Ramiro, Ace, apil na ang atong mga Level II hospitals,” said Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) chief Anthony Damalerio in an interview over station dyRD on Thursday morning.
Based on real-time data posted on the EOC’s dashboard, 60 of the 68 COVID-19 ward and isolation beds of the Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH) were occupied.
The same data also indicated that 10 of the 14 COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) beds of the hospital were occupied.
GCGMH is the only tertiary level hospital in Bohol and is the main COVID-19 referral facility in the province.
Meanwhile, 51 of the 69 COVID-19 isolation beds of the four Level II hospitals in the province, namely Ace Medical Center Bohol, Ramiro Community Hospital, Tagbilaran Community Hospital and Holy Name Medical Center, were occupied.
Only three of the combined 12 ICU beds of the four hospitals were available.
At the 11 Level I hospitals across Bohol, only 30 of the 117 COVID-19 ward and isolation beds were available.
According to Damalerio, the issue has been raised during a meeting among members of the BIATF led by Provincial Administrator Kathyrin Pioquinto on Wednesday.
He said the multi-agency task force is already looking for ways to avoid further straining the province’s healthcare system.
Damalerio however debunked rumors that the province was poised to be placed under lockdown to curb the spread of the virus.
“Walay discussion na mag lockdown ang Bohol. Fake news na,” he said.
The official hoped that there will be more recoveries among admitted patients in the forthcoming days freeing up beds at hospitals.
“Ato g’yud ng gipangitaan og paagi, unya naa man pud tay reports of recoveries basin na pud in the coming days dunay ma dugang na available COVID beds,” he said.
The official also assured that all hospitals have in place a referral system that ensures that no patient will be denied admission.
Earlier, the Capitol had also ordered all municipalities to activate their Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facility which will be used as isolation centers for COVID-19 patients who do not need hospitalization. (R. Tutas)