Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 6) — The number of COVID-19 patients at the Philippine General Hospital in Manila is fewer now compared to two weeks ago, but the occupancy rate remains high at nearly 75%, the medical facility’s spokesman said on Wednesday.
“We still have a lot of patients in PGH. We have 237 confirmed patients with COVID out of our 325 beds,” Dr. Jonas del Rosario told CNN Philippines’ New Day.
The number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 went as high as 355 two weeks ago, according to del Rosario.
But the PGH spokesman noted the COVID-19 beds in intensive care units are “always full” and walk-in patients continue to flock to the emergency room.
Del Rosario said the hospital is hoping cases will “progressively decrease” as having more than 200 patients meant their healthcare workers are “usually really tied up in the COVID-19 operations.”
Coping
After grappling with a manpower shortage, the COVID-19 referral center is able to manage better now, del Rosario said.
The hospital official related that some of the paid volunteers have resigned.
He added there was a time when 100 doctors were out of commission.
But most of them are back now, he said, with only 20 either recovering or going through quarantine.
He shared that they also started implementing “task sharing,” in which other departments send doctors to the COVID-19 wards.
“I think this is working,” he pointed out. “And some of the doctors who got sick are back to man the COVID-19 wards so we are able to manage much better.”
Del Rosario expressed optimism the PGH will be able to hire more paid volunteers.
“Hopefully we’ll get some generalists or specialists who can augment our manpower,” he said.
