Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 5) — The Chinese General Hospital said it could not admit any more COVID-19 patients, having reached full capacity.
In a statement released by the hospital on Monday, Samuel D. Ang, medical director of the Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center, said consultants admitted patients as the hospital did its own PCR testing.
Speaking to CNN Philippines Sunday, the hospital said given the situation, walk-in suspected cases will be advised and referred to other hospitals.
The hospital added it experienced a new surge in the number of patients and is now preparing to open another ward to accommodate new COVID-19 patients.
“This triggers admissions even in patients with mild symptoms,” he said, adding they want to reserve COVID-19 wards for symptomatic patients.
In a message to reporters, Department of Health Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said hospitals have a certain number of beds designated for COVID-19 patients.
“So if they declare that they have full capacity or the percentage of beds occupied in the hospitals for COVID is high, we have to remember that these are just the assigned dedicated beds for COVID and not the entire hospital capacity,” she clarified.
Ang said they made arrangements with the Philippine General Hospital and San Lazaro hospital, as well as other quarantine facilities to accept referrals.
“This support from the government has provided tremendous effect on the morale of our hospital staff,” he said.
Ang said they are now able to accept non-COVID patients which led to the realignment of the hospital’s health care workers.
On Monday, the DOH reported 2.099 new infections, with total cases now at 46,333.
Recovered patients exceeded 12,000, after 243 more got well. The total number of survivors is now at 12,185, which accounts for around one-fourth of the country’s confirmed cases.
However, the disease also resulted in the death of six more patients, raising the death toll to 1,303.
