Gov’t also notes decreasing health care utization rate this month
(Eagle News) – Philippine officials noted the continuing decrease in the health care utilization rate this month for COVID-19 cases. At the same time, they observed that those who are being intubated in intensive care units in hospitals are mostly unvaccinated people.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana noted this in his report to President Rodrigo Duterte in his latest “Talk to the People” this week.
“Napag-alamang 64 percent sa ICU at 74 percent sa mga intubated patients ang hindi pa nababakunahan. Ibig sabihin mas malaki po ang tiyansa nung mga hindi nabakunahan na magkaroon ng COVID,” he said.
He noted that the health care utilization rate from Sept. 20 to 26 were at 68 percent, and dropped to 64 percent from Sept. 27 to Oct. 1. Last week, this decreased further to 60 percent, Lorenzana said.
Based on the data from the Department of Health, ICU utilization rate has also been decreasing. On Tuesday, Oct. 12, the ICU utilization rate in Metro Manila has gone down to 66 percent, while nationwide it is at 68 percent.
-Decrease in ICU utilization in NCR, nationwide-
The continuing decrease in ICU utilization started on Oct. 8, based on the daily reports of DOH. That day, the ICU utilization in Metro Manila was 71 percent, while nationwide it was at 72 percent.
Health Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, however, clarified that hospitals would be slow to “decongest” cases, especially in ICUs. She said that a stay of a patient in the ICU could last 21 days or more.
“Ang hospital po talaga nahuhuli sa pag-decongest, because these individuals na nasa hospitals specifically sa ICU, mas matagal po sila naglalagi sa ospital, it can be 21 days or more. Kaya mas mabagal po nating mapagdi-decongest ang ating mga ospital. Tuloy pa rin po ang ating strengthened response sa ating mga communities, para maputol po ang transmission at mas kakaunti na lang po ang mapunta sa mga ospital,” she said.
President Duterte and his officials had been urging the public to get vaccinated to protect them from getting severre COVID-19.
The Philippines is getting more vaccine deliveries this quarter. It is expecting that by the end of October, a total of 100 million vaccine doses would have been delivered in the country.
(Eagle News Service)
