Occupancy rate of Covid-19-dedicated hospital beds below 50%: DOH

The occupancy rate of beds dedicated to patients infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on a national scale is less than 50 percent, a health official said Tuesday. (Pixabay photo)

The occupancy rate of beds dedicated to patients infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on a national scale is less than 50 percent, a health official said Tuesday.

In a Covid-19 virtual presser, Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said about 46 percent of Covid-19-dedicated intensive care unit beds and 45.7 percent of Covid-19-dedicated isolation unit beds across the country are occupied.

“Nais namin linawin na ang mga datos na ito ay base sa kakayahan ng mga ospital na tumanggap ng pasiyente para sa Covid-19 dedicated beds. Muli, ang mga numbers na ito ay hindi nag-re-represent ng lahat ng beds ng ospital kundi para lamang po sa Covid-19 (We want to clarify that these data are based on the capacity of hospitals to accept patients for Covid-19-dedicated beds. Again, these numbers do not represent all the beds in the hospitals but only the beds dedicated to Covid-19),” Vergeire said.

While some hospitals have reported that their Covid-19-dedicated beds have reached maximum capacity, the occupancy of hospital beds converted into Covid-19 beds nationwide is 49 percent, she said.

The DOH called on hospitals, especially private hospitals, to convert 30 percent of their hospital beds into Covid-19 dedicated beds as prescribed by DOH Administrative Order 2020-0016.

“Ngunit hindi pa po ito nakaayon sa prescribed 30 percent, kaya po kung susundin natin ang nasabing administrative order, meron na po sana tayong additional 17,307 beds na maaaring gamitin sana for Covid-19 (But these are not according to the prescribed 30 percent. If we’re going to follow the administrative order, we would have an additional 17,307 beds to be used for Covid-19),” Vergeire said.

“Kaya po itong 49-percent occupancy of Covid-19 beds ay actually nasa 22 percent pa lang tayo ng ating ideal total Covid-19-dedicated beds kung susundin lamang po natin ang prescribed 30-percent bed allocation sa ating mga public at private hospitals sa ating bansa (This 49-percent occupancy of Covid-19 beds is actually only 22 percent of our ideal total Covid-19-dedicated beds if public and private hospitals nationwide observe the 30-percent allocation).”

Citing that there are many Covid-19 patients admitted in the National Capital Region, Region 4-A (Calabarzon) and Region 7 (Central Visayas), she said the public must not be complacent with the less-than-50-percent national occupancy rate.

“Patuloy pa rin namin pinapaalala sa publiko na patuloy pa rin panatilihin ang minimum health standards at huwag pong lumabas kung hindi kinakailangan para hindi dumagdag sa tumataas na occupancy rate ng ating mga ospital (We remind the public to continue practicing the minimum health standards and stay home so as not to add to the occupancy rate of hospitals),” Vergeire added.