SATURATION of hospitals and exhaustion among healthcare workers may compel the country’s medical communities to ask President Rodrigo Duterte for a two-week breather as COVID-19 cases continue piling up by record-breaking figures.
Both the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) and the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) said that the country’s healthcare workers have grown very tired amid non-stop arrival of patients infected with the deadly virus from Wuhan, China.
PNA President Melbert Reyes clarified that they have yet to make a formal request for a timeout.
“Our position on the possible call for timeout is…it is a difficult decision if we are talking about lives and source of livelihood but the public should understand that the health workers have their limitations,” Reyes said in a radio interview.
PGH spokesperson Janus del Rosario also said the same thing — they have yet to ask for a breather despite feeling the chills and exhaustion amid public advisories of Metro Manila hospitals claiming their facilities are already full and could no longer accommodate patients.
“Hindi pa po kami humihingi ng timeout pero nadadama na namin ‘yung sipa ulit. At the same time, pilay kami dahil may ilan kaming health care workers na may sakit so naapektuhan ‘yung aming pagma-man ng aming mga post so medyo nakakaramdam na rin ng pagod so there is a possibility baka kung talagang medyo umaapaw na humingi rin kami ng timeout,” del Rosario said.
Expressing concern over projections that COVID-19 cases could further increase by the end of the month even with the enforcement of a unified curfew in Metro Manila, del Rosario underscored the need for the National Task Force Against COVID-19 to review its strategy, adding that they don’t seem to see it working, citing continuing swarming of patients.
“Parang ‘di pa po namin nararamdaman dahil patuloy pa pagdagsa ng mga pasyente sa PGH. Marami ang nasa waiting list,” he said.
The Philippines recorded its highest ever single-day tally on Saturday – 7,999.
Sometime in August last year, medical frontliners sought for a breather as the country’s health system struggled to respond to the surge, compelling Duterte to declare a two-week modified enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila to contain the virus spread.
Del Rosario said they had to expand their operations to accommodate patients. From 180 beds, they expanded their COVID bed capacity to 225. PGH’s intensive care unit is also full.
With a saturated facility and an exhausted medical team, PGH urged other hospitals to take in non-COVID cases.
“Apela ngayon ng PGH na tulungan kami ng ibang ospital na tanggapin ‘yung ibang may non-COVID diagnosis, sa kanila muna. ‘Wag na muna nilang ipadala sa amin dahil ngayon po ay naka-focus kami sa COVID,” he quipped.