Iloilo hospitals ‘still capable’ but…

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

 

Iloilo province’s hospital chief said that while they don’t have any confirmed case of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the Iloilo Provincial Hospital in Pototan town and district hospitals across the province, they took precaution in expanding their capacities to cater to COVID-19 patients.

In an interview with Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo, Iloilo Provincial Hospitals Management Office (PHMO) head Dr. Cynthia Ng said that they’ve opened provincial and district hospitals for basic services but there are other services they cannot provide.

This is in the context of several hospitals in Iloilo City temporarily closing down several services after reaching full capacity in COVID-19 wards.

“Right now, we’re trying to respond to the challenges of other hospitals closing down, so we’ve opened our services, but because we’re only a Level 1 hospital, there are limitations to the services we’re providing to the public. We don’t have daily specialist schedules, and we can’t provide critical or tertiary care to patients,” Dr. Ng said.

Dr. Ng added that doctors have been helping each other as the referral system within the city and the province has become “a bit difficult”.

“It’s a bit difficult, the referral system. However, the services of the WVMC have returned gradually. We can’t turn our backs on our responsibility to the people. The referral system has challenges, but we are trying our very best to overcome the challenges. The doctors are helping each other,” she added.

The province was authorized by the Department of Health (DOH) to operate 640 beds throughout its 12 district hospitals and the provincial hospital.

Ninety-one beds are currently occupied by suspected COVID-19 cases, but Ng said that while they don’t have any confirmed cases yet, the number of suspected cases has taken 90 percent of their total 101-bed capacity.

Under Executive Order No. 128 issued by Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. on May 31, the Provincial and District Hospitals can only receive mild and suspect cases.

The Ramon D. Duremdes District Hospital has the highest number of admitted suspected COVID-19 cases with 14.

Aleosan District Hospital in Alimodian town has 12 suspected cases, the Rep. Pedro Trono Memorial District Hospital in Guimbal town with 11, the Barotac Viejo District Hospital with 9, and the Dr. Ricardo Y. Ladrido Memorial District Hospital in Lambunao town with 8 cases.

The Ramon Tabiana Memorial District Hospital in Cabatuan town, the Sara District Hospital, the Jesus M. Colmenares Memorial District Hospital, Don Valerio Palmares Sr. Memorial District Hospital in Passi City, and the Federico Roman Tirador Sr. Memorial District Hospital in Janiuay have 6 suspected cases each.

The Dr. Ricardo S. Provido Memorial District Hospital in Calinog town has 3 suspected cases, and the Iloilo Provincial Hospital and the San Joaquin District Hospital have the least number of admitted suspect cases with 2 each.

For the non-COVID wards, there are 560 patients admitted, according to Dr. Ng.

Dr. Ng said that the HMO is preparing to allocate more beds in hospitals for the COVID-19 wards, but she cautioned that they are risking lessening the capacity in non-COVID wards.

“All hospitals are preparing for 30 to 50 percent [in COVID-19 wards as required by the DOH]. If it reaches 30 percent, then we are required to increase to 101 more COVID-19 beds. We are also catering to non-COVID patients from other hospitals which cannot accommodate them. Right now, we have at least 560 non-COVID patients in all our hospitals. Every week, there is a gradual increase of beds. Our other wards have decreased and converted to the COVID ward. The number of patients we can admit decreases, and because there is a COVID ward, distancing is required. Everyone is affected,” she said.

She added that there were no fixed capacities for COVID-19 wards, and that the PMHO just responds to the demand.

“We don’t generalize these. We extend that to cope up with the needs. Whatever is the demand, we just push to respond with the available beds. But if authorized bed capacity for each hospital is fixed, we can accommodate until 1,126 maybe, for all hospitals. They change upon demand. We can’t say definitely, because all hospitals are flexible. All chiefs of hospitals are trying their best to respond. We can’t do anything if our patients overflow, we are doing our best to cater despite the limitations that we have,” she said.

She added further that the province is waiting for the Department of Public Works and Highways to start working on additional 16-bedroom isolation facilities in the provincial and district hospitals, except for Aleosan District Hospital.

“The governor asked the DPWH for help to build isolation facilities in all district hospitals. As of last week, the DPWH had visited. Their minimum requirement is 500 square meters. With this requirement, only Aleosan didn’t qualify. For the rest of the hospitals, the DPWH will tell them each when it will start. I don’t know when it will start, but preliminary surveys have been done,” she said.

Dr. Ng warned the public to continue to stay at home and observe minimum health standards when they do go out, to help the frontliners in the province’s health facilities.

“It is alarming. It is also a public health concern for all of us, that is why we keep repeating that hospitals should be considered the last line of defense. People need to understand that. The first line of defense is our individual responsibility to be careful, not to go around, to socially distance, to wash our hands, and to wear masks, and to not assume that we won’t be infected by the virus,” Dr. Ng said.