The average occupancy rate of beds alloted for patients infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Western Visayas has already reached critical level, according to the Department of Health (DOH-6).
During a virtual presser on Thursday, Aug. 20, Dr. Jessie Glen Alonsabe, DOH-6 spokesperson, said COVID-19 beds in hospitals retained by the health department are almost fully utilized.
The DOH has four retained hospitals in the region. These are the following:
▪Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Iloilo City
▪Western Visayas Sanitarium in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo province
▪Don Jose S. Monfort Medical Center Extension Hospital in Barotac Nuevo town, Iloilo province
▪Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in Bacolod City
According to Alonsabe, the occupancy rates for WVMC’s ward beds and isolation beds for COVID-19 parients are at 100% and 82%, respectively. The hospital has 10 ward beds and 86 isolation beds.
The Western Visayas Sanitarium’s ward beds and isolation beds have an 87.5% occupancy rate and a 73.7% utilization rate, respectively. It has 8 ward beds and 22 isolation beds.
The Don Jose S. Monfort Medical Center Extension Hospital has 13 isolation beds and 61.9 percent of these are occupied. It has no COVID-19 ward.
CLMMRH also reported a 100% occupancy rate of its 14 ward beds and a 63.64% utilization rate of its 22 isolation beds.
Alonsabe said the isolation beds are intended for mild cases or ILI (influenza-like illness) while the ward beds are for moderate to severe cases.
The region, as of Aug. 20, logged a total of 3,152 cases of COVID-19, including 1,442 recoveries and 50 deaths.IMT
