No room in the hospital

By Modesto P. Sa-onoy

Among the saddest beginnings of a story is that of The Greatest Story Ever Told which says: They have no more room in the inn. And the story ended with death and a burial. Christians know this story of Christ very well and it seems that a parallel story is being told every day of our time.

When I read the news there is no more room in the hospital for the victims of the coronavirus pandemic, I cannot help but feel the same sadness that Joseph and Mary felt when they had nowhere to rest for the night. It was not that there were no more rooms but because they were a poor couple. They were not fit enough for a space.

I was reminded of this story because of the recent events in Bacolod. A doctor from one hospital said that there is no more room in the hospital. This was confirmed by what happened to a staff of Councilor Israel Salanga.

It was because there was no more space or service in several hospitals that a productive life was cut short. A space and immediate action of the hospital could have saved the life of Jesryl Bancaya. In fact a room was not needed that instant but immediate medical help.

Ironically, and more sad is the fact that he was in-charge of orienting returning overseas Filipino workers precisely to reduce the incidence of infection. His death, though considered heroism by the city government, was more of martyrdom, a victim of inconsiderate policy.

Of course, it could not be said that he could have survived if given immediate attention but at least the family could have been consoled by the fact that he was not ignored and left to die.

Last week a doctor in one of the hospitals said that it is better that if one felt sick, he should just stay at home because the hospitals are full. That appeared to be a sign of hopelessness but more dreadful are reports of the terrible medical costs where the hospital charges the patient even for the protective gears, not counting the toilet paper and the pillows.

A friend said confinement cost can reach over a million pesos. A scandal in the graft-ridden PhilHealth was discovered that the families of patients are told to have their deceased cremated because PhilHealth would pay. That would spare the family of the cost of funeral and burial.

The “present health care situation” that Familiaran cited was understood to mean lack of hospital space and people had been made to believe that this is the problem.

As if in response, Bacolod Congressman Greg Gasataya on Tuesday said that an additional eighty hospital beds, both from private and public hospitals in Bacolod City, will be added to accommodate the Covid-19 patients in the city.

Gasataya said that during their meeting with representatives of hospitals in Bacolod and DOH Monday, Bacolod Adventist Medical Center confirmed to increase its bed capacity for Covid-19 patients from 21 to 27 beds, Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital from 60 to 97 beds, Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Regional Hospital from 22 to 53 beds, South General Hospital from five to 17 beds, and Doctor’s Hospital from 33 to 34 bed capacity.

He said that on Sunday, he talked with DOH-Western Visayas Director Marlyn Convocar and informed her of the situation of the hospitals in the city where they have already reached full bed capacity for Covid-19 patients.

The death of Bancaya must have jolted the hospitals and suddenly most of them “found out” they have still room for the pandemic patients. Bitten perhaps by pangs of conscience, they opened their doors.

But bed space was not the only issue but the immediate care for the patients brought into the hospital. No hospital should shut out a more urgent emergency case.

It gladdens the heart to hear the report of Rep. Gasataya that the DoH will also deploy additional nurses to various hospitals in Bacolod.

By now the mass testing of an expected 10,000 residents of the province, half of that in Bacolod, has started. We don’t know how many will require hospitalization but there are now additional beds available.

We’ll know the results, hopefully good, by next week.