THE management of the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) is currently scouting for more beds after its utilization rate peaked beyond the "warning zone" in the past few days.
SPMC officer-in-charge Ricardo Audan, in a phone interview with VoxPop Davao, said they already converted one of the hospital's spare rooms into a hospital ward to cater to more patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Audan, however, did not disclose the number of beds, but he said this would increase the hospital's bed capacity for its Covid-19 response.
SPMC, previously the lone designated Covid-19 hospital in the city, has a total of 211 ward beds and 37 intensive care unit (ICU) beds for Covid-19 patients.
But since the city was placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ (MGCQ), which led to the easing of some quarantine restrictions, Audan said there has been a surge of admitted Covid-19 patients at SPMC.
According to the SPMC Covid-19 hospital bed occupancy data, the hospital's ICU occupancy rate, dated July 9, 10, and 14, had reached beyond the "warning" and "critical" zone levels.
He said a bed capacity is considered in the "warning zone" when the occupancy rate is between 70 to 79 percent while it is in the "critical zone" when it reaches 80-percent and above.
On July 9, the ICU occupancy rate reached 80-percent and then dropped to 72-percent on July 10 onwards. However, it reached its all time peak of 85-percent on July 14. It dropped to 70 percent and below beginning July 15 until July 20 with a 50 percent occupancy rate.
Meanwhile, its ward occupancy rate from June 15 until July 20 remains below 70 percent, which is considered a "safe level."
Audan said the occupancy rate decreased to 60 percent after some patients were transferred to the city's quarantine facilities while others were discharged after they were declared to have recovered from the virus.
"There is still a surge, but this time, it is manageable," he said.
The official said this was one of the reasons why they had recommended to Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio the opening of the second Covid-19 designated hospital in the city -- the Dumoy Satellite Facility of the Davao Doctors Hospital (DDH).
Duterte-Carpio said on Monday, July 20, in a radio interview that SPMC is struggling to cater Covid-19 cases due to its significant increase.
"Nag-abli na 'ta because increase na ang atong cases, dili na siya maapas dinha sa atong SPMC (We opened our second facility due to the increasing number of Covid-19 case, which the SPMC is struggling to cater to)," the mayor said in an interview via 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
Despite this, Audan said SPMC will continue to cater Covid-19 patients, as long as they can.
But he said there is a need to decongest the hospital so as not affect its
services.
"Dili mi mutanggi. Pero if muabot sa time na padulungay na siya na mapuno, then we would refer it to others kay macompromise ang among service (We will not decline incoming patients. But when the time comes that our bed capacity will be exhausted, we will refer it to other hospitals so that our services will not be compromised)," Audan said, adding they are also considering their manpower when catering to patients.
He said the hospital is in need of 30 more doctors, and 50 more nurses to cater the increasing number of patients.
He also said some doctors and nurses were also made to serve to Covid-19 patients due to the lack of applicants in the position.
