Healthcare capacity most important in fight vs. COVID-19 —DOH adviser

A member of the Department of Health’s Technical Advisory Group on Monday highlighted the importance of increasing the country’s healthcare capacity especially in light of the dramatic spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.

"Ang pinakaimportante talaga ay healthcare capacity. Ang COVID, basta maalagaan nang maayos [ang pasyente], kahit severe, chances are 5% lang ang mamamatay,” Dr. Edsel Salvana said during the Laging Handa briefing.

(The most important thing here is healthcare capacity. As long as we can take care of our COVID-19 patients well, even if it is a severe case, chances are, only 5% will die.)

"Pero kung wala na tayong kama, kung hindi natin mabigyan ng oxygen ‘yung may kinakailangan ng oxygen, tataas po talaga iyong percentage ng mamamatay,” he added.

(But if we don’t have enough beds and oxygen for those who need it, then the percentage of those who will die will increase.)

Salvana made the statement a day after the country recorded over 11,000 new COVID-19 cases in a day, the highest count without a backlog.

His comment also came as a number of hospitals in Metro Manila are reporting shortage of beds for COVID-19 patients as well as health workers getting infected with COVID-19.

As some patients opted to stay home due to lack of hospital rooms, Salvana reminded them that the use of oxygen tank should still be monitored by a doctor.

"They should call the hospital offering home care because while the use of oxygen is okay, how much and how often should it be used on the patient should still be monitored by a doctor," he said.

Based on Department of Health records, 58,331 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Metro Manila in the last two weeks.

In a separate press briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the main reason why Metro Manila and the adjacent provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal are under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) — a protocol which bans non-essential travel and non-essential businesses and services from operating — is because the healthcare system is getting overwhelmed.

"Wala po tayong option kundi ECQ kasi punong-puno po ang mga ospital natin [We don't have any option but to implement ECQ because our hospitals are nearing full capacity]," he said. —KBK, GMA News