‘It is both pathetic and confusing when the public is fed with conflicting facts on the epidemic’s status, especially so when their everyday activities are planned around these assessments and advisories.’
IN the news yesterday were two conflicting statements from knowledgeable authorities on the COVID-19 pandemic situation.
The critical care utilization rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) is now at “low-risk,” it was affirmed by Department of Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega, the so-called “treatment czar” of the government.
“Here in Metro Manila, collectively, we can see that the usage of ICU/critical care beds has really dropped. In fact, the utilization rate of ICU (beds) in Metro Manila has dropped to about 50 percent. It is currently under the low risk category,” said Vega. He, however, admitted that the cities of Makati and Muntinlupa are under the “high-risk position” in terms of ICU bed capacity.
The treatment czar’s assessment of the situation is negated by a group of doctors belonging to the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP). Their vice president, Dr. Maricar Limpin, attests that the intensive care unit (ICU) beds in the National Capital Region are full, contrary to the pronouncement of the DOH. She noted that occupancy in this part of hospitals was 80 percent last week, but now it is 100 percent.
Limpin said, “The DOH is saying there are still available beds. But we are the ones who know that there are many severe and critical COVID patients now. It’s a cause for alarm that COVID patients are increasing.”
The PCP official noted that patients confined in ICU rooms need to stay for a longer period of time to recover, usually for more than three weeks so the turnaround of patients is slow. She said many of these patients have developed pneumonia while those with advanced cases were intubated or placed on oxygen support.
It is both pathetic and confusing when the public is fed with conflicting facts on the epidemic’s status, especially so when their everyday activities are planned around these assessments and advisories.
Government health authorities and private organizations of physicians should share their data, facts and experiences to come up with the same or at least similar charts on important aspects of COVID-19 response.
This should not be hard to do, since both groups are on the ground doing the day-to-day battle to contain the coronavirus 2019.
