Around 60 percent of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients who were admitted at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) have been sent home, a hospital official said.
According to the hospital’s latest report, 134 out of 186 COVID-19 patients, who have been admitted to the hospital since February 3, have been discharged as of Wednesday.
Meanwhile, 33 or up to 16 percent of the patients died while receiving treatment in the hospital.
PGH spokesman Jonas Del Rosario told DZBB in an interview Wednesday that those patients were suffering from severe or critical symptoms of COVID-19.
“‘Yung mga pasyente po na nakukuha namin sa PGH ay ‘yun pong medyo advanced ‘yung sakit. May mga mild din po, pero mas marami ‘yung moderate to critical to severe na po for COVID,” he said.
Del Rosario said that the PGH has already regulated the number of admitted patients as the 130-capacity-hospital have been catering to around 150 patients for the past few days.
The hospital’s latest report showed that there are only 136 confirmed, suspect, and probable COVID-19 patients currently admitted at the PGH.
The PGH spokesman said they had to open the pay wing where the admitted patients haave to pay for the expenses not covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
Aside from the limited bed capacity, Del Rosario said they had to be careful not to exhaust their 900 COVID-19-dedicated staff.
“Madali pong magdagdag ng kama o kwarto. Ang mahirap na idagdag ay ‘yung tao,” he said.
The PGH is serving as a COVID-19 referral center, per the Department of Health’s (DoH) request, to limit the exhaustion of staff and equipment in all hospitals nationwide.
BLOOD PLASMA DONORS
Del Rosario said that as of Wednesday, 17 COVID-19 patients who have recovered from the disease have donated their blood plasma to PGH to help other patients.
Senators Miguel Zubiri and Sonny Angara were among the COVID-19 survivors who donated their blood plasma for the hospital’s convalescent plasma therapy program.
Five adults and one child admitted at PGH received some of the blood plasma donations, the PGH spokesman said.
Earlier, Del Rosario said the blood of the recovered COVID-19 patients are rich with antibodies that could help fight the disease.
COVID-19 survivors who wish to donate their blood plasma may reach the hospital at 155-200. (Minka Tiangco)