THE health care utilization rate (HCUR) in Metro Manila is now at low risk, treatment czar Leopoldo Vega yesterday said, as he assured the public that coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country remain at a “manageable” level.
In a televised public briefing, Vega said the over-all hospital bed use in the National Capital Region (NCR) has gone down.
“In fact, the utilization rate of ICU beds in Metro Manila has gone below 50 percent. It is in the low risk category already,” he said.
Vega said the low healthcare utilization rate is due to the decline in new cases in the region, and the opening of modular field hospitals and 400 COVID-19 beds since March 28.
His statement was ably supported by data from the Epidemiology Bureau of the Department of Health, which showed that the NCR has a 36 percent overall HCUR, including a 47 percent intensive care unit (ICU) bed utilization rate, as of June 13.
All 17 local government units (LGUs) in the region are also currently in the low risk or
below 60 percent hospital bed occupancy rate.
For ICU beds, data shows that all but five LGUs in Metro Manila are at low risk.
Vega said the cities of San Juan (100%), Las Piñas (90%), Makati (72.4%), Muntinlupa (70.4%), and Parañaque (62.5%) have “higher utilization rates as they may not have enough number of beds for their COVID-19 patients.”
In order to prevent overwhelming hospitals, Vega said such facilities should bring up the matter to the One Hospital Command.
“In Metro Manila, we are borderless and it is easy to refer patients in need to other health facilities if they are facing shortages in beds” he said, adding: “It is easy to coordinate with our One Hospital Command to transfer and refer to different institutions here in Metro Manila that still have huge vacancies,” furthered Vega.
Meanwhile, Vega also said that while there have been case surges recorded in several provinces and cities outside of Metro Manila, the COVID-19 situation nationwide are still at a “manageable” level.
“It is manageable,” said Vega when asked if there is cause for concern over the DOH report of a 15 percent growth in cases on a national level over the past two weeks.
The DOH has also listed 36 priority areas, which have seen either high growth in cases or average daily attack rates or both.
Vega said the outbreaks or spikes in cases can be controlled with the simple adherence to minimum public health standards, an effective local COVID-19 response, and efficient vaccination program.
“We need to implement properly the minimum public health standards, and have testing, contact tracing, and isolation of patients in less than 48 hours so we can reduce transmission or the R-naught,” he said.
“If they can do that, coupled with the scaling up of immunization, transmission will be reduced,” he added.
