Following significant increases on COVID 19 confirmed cases in Davao Region in the recent days, the Department of Health (DOH XI) announced in a virtual media briefing that utilization of beds for COVID-19 cases has reached the warning zone.
DOH XI Assistant Regional Director Lenny Joy Rivera said with the latest utilization of bed capacity report as of July 16, the Davao region now falls on the warning zone category or a bed utilization of 31 to 70 percent.
The July 16 data showed that 53.3 percent of beds in ICUs are occupied; 44.48 percent of beds in isolation center are occupied; while 41% of the beds in the ward section of COVID19 facilities are occupied.
A further breakdown of these data would show that bed occupancy in Intensive Care Units runs at 213 with 229 available beds; bed occupancy for severe cases in isolation units runs at 190 while 209 are still available; bed occupancy in COVID 19 facilities such as the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) and the Davao Region Medical Center (DRMC) runs at 23 with 20 available beds; bed occupancy in isolation units runs at 157 with 196 available beds; occupancy in the wards section is 33 with 13 available beds.
Bed utilization of ICU beds for non-COVID 19 cases already reached 220 occupancies with 191 still available. There are already 2,998 occupied non ICU beds in non COVID 19 hospitals while 3,044 are still available.
“But we have plans of transferring mild cases who are admitted at the ward to the different Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMF)”, Rivera said.
Davao City alone has identified TTMF, some have been operational for quite some time while some are yet to start operations and accept COVID19 suspects and probables.
The facility in Malagos can accommodate up to 30 patients; La Diva can house 21 patients; the ALS has 57 capacity; Queensland can accommodate 71; the RMC can accept 30 patients; the gym facility has a capacity of 48; the Boy Scout facility can house 14; the container vans in Malagos can house 48; the Davao City Sports facility can accept 100 patients; and the UP facility with 35 patients.
The DOH XI stressed that even with the increasing occupancy in COVID 19 hospitals and facilities, the different local government units in Davao Region have also established their own TTMF which helped lessen the surge in occupancy of COVID hospitals such as the SPMC and the DRMC.
“ Last Tuesday, the DOH XI has discussed with the different LGUs in the region and the different efforts of the LGUs,” said Dr. Cleo Tabada.
She highlighted that they found out that each LGU has their own protocols that may vary from other LGUs.
“However, they all understood the message of the DOH on the need to isolate, test, and closely monitor their quarantine,” Tabada added.
Since the start of the COVID 19 pandemic, the DOH XI encouraged the different LGUs to establish their own TTMF so as not to rely on the bed availability in COVID 19 hospitals and operational TTMFs.
As of July 16, there are still 4,844 beds available in all of the different TTMFs in all provinces of Davao Region. Only 25% or 1,586 beds are occupied of the total bed capacity of 6,430.
This practice and efforts of the different LGUs had proven to be strategic and helpful so as not to overwhelm the COVID 19 hospitals in Davao Region.
“ One distinct practice we have done in Davao region is that we identified COVID 19 hospitals and only these hospitals (the SPMC and the DRMC) can cater COVID 19 severe and critical cases. The TTMFs only cater mild and asymptomatic cases. The private hospitals are not allowed to treat COVID 19 cases”, Rivera said. (PIA XI/Frances Mae Macapagat)
