Covid cases up; Cordi hospitals 'critical level'

By Liza Agoot  

BAGUIO CITY – All major hospitals and medical facilities in the Cordillera region have reached a critical level a Covid-19 cases reached 10,059 in the region Thursday.
    Based on the daily Covid-19 tracker of the Dept. of Health, the region recorded 733 new cases on Sept. 23.
1,068 new Covid-19 infections were logged on Thursday, the regional health office reported.
    The latest hospital care utilization rate report of the Dept. of Health – Cordillera Administrative Region, posted on its official social media page Thursday evening, stated “the Cordillera is under critical risk in terms of HCUR, with an average utilization rate of 89.85 percent.”
    Under critical risk are Abra, Apayao, and Baguio City with a mechanical ventilator utilization rate (MVUR) of 100 percent; and Benguet with a 97.3 percent and Ifugao with 89.13 percent bed occupancy rate.
    Under high risk is the Mountain Province with a 72.73 percent MVUR, and under moderate risk is Kalinga with a 69.79 percent bed occupancy rate.
    The report was posted a little earlier than the DOH daily tracker, which reported 1,068 new Covid-19 cases in the region – 129 in Abra; four in Apayao; 261 in Baguio City; 376 in Benguet; 144 in Ifugao; 115 in Kalinga; and 39 in the Mountain Province, bringing the region’s active cases to 7,052 as of 9 p.m. Thursday.
    The Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, the region’s biggest tertiary hospital which is managed by the DOH, has reported a 104 percent HCUR while Saint Louis Hospital, Notre Dame de Chartres Hospital, and Pines City Doctors Hospital have a 100 percent HCUR.
    Only the Baguio Medical Center is at 64 percent in terms of HCUR. The Benguet General Hospital (BeGH), in a post, advised patients that they are limiting the admission of probable and suspected cases due to the overwhelming number of Covid-19-positive patients who are symptomatic and have other comorbid conditions. Its HCUR is 96.03 percent.
    The BeGH has already set up 20 tents at its compound as hospital extension due to the surge in the number of asymptomatic patients. The hospital has already requested the Dept. of Social Welfare and Development for additional tents.
    In Abra, the provincial government opened last week its 140-bed capacity isolation facility in the town of Tayum to address the increasing number of Covid cases in the province.
    The facility has medical personnel assigned to look after the patients, as well as utility personnel, and features a kitchen.
Gov. Ma. Jocelyn Bernos advised residents to seek early consultation as patients only go to the doctor when their condition has worsened.
    “Do not be afraid to see your doctor in case you have those flu-like symptoms,” Bernos said in her post.
In the region, the Mountain Province has the lowest number of infections and is the only province that has not recorded a Delta variant infection.
    Meanwhile, in Kalinga, the provincial hospital has 76 percent HCUR; 53 percent for the Almora General Hospital; 16 percent for the San Juan General Hospital; and 69 percent for the St. Peter Claver Hospital.
    The Holy Trinity Hospital in Kalinga is now 100 percent in terms of HCUR.
    The surge in Covid-19 cases in the Cordillera started as early as the first week of August, after reports that several cases of     the more contagious Delta variant have been detected among Covid-19 patients in the various provinces of the region. -- PNA