The long wait for admission. Photo courtesy of Mc Terence Robles
BALANGA CITY – A long queue of ambulances and barangay service vehicles formed Thursday outside the exclusive hospital here for those infected with the coronavirus disease.
The patients they carried were provided with a tank of oxygen each while waiting for their turn to be admitted to the Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC).
“Maraming pasyente, hindi namin alam kung Covid-19 o Delta variant ba ang sakit ngayon. Mayroon kaming dalang pasyene na mayroon na siyang oxygen,” said nursing aide Jealine Artizuela of Barangay Lamao, Limay town.
Some aides said their barangay health service vehicles/ambulances have been parked outside the hospital since 1:30 in the afternoon of Wednesday.
“Kahapon pa kami dito, 24 oras na,” Artizuela said.
Dr. Noel Lacsamana of BGHMC begged off to be interviewed and said they have submitted their occupancy rate to the provincial health office and 1Bataan Command Center.
PHO chief Dr. Rosanna Buccahan said she was in a meeting still discussing the occupancy rates in public and private hospitals in Bataan and what has to be done.
Real-time data of hospital beds available in Bataan showed that government-run hospitals BGHMC main has 93.96 percent occupancy rate, Jose Payumo Memorial Hospital in Dinalupihan – 71.88 percent, Mariveles District Hospital – 100 percent, Mariveles Mental Wellness and General Hospital – 100 percent, Orani district Hospital – 74.6 percent.
Except for BGHMC with nine and BGHMC-Annex with two, all other public hospitals here had zero intensive care units.
BGHMC-Annex has 14.04 percent occupancy rate but this hospital does not accept Covid- 19 patients.
Private hospitals Bataan Doctors and Medical Center has 56.04 percent occupancy rate, Bataan Peninsula Medical Center in Dinalupihan – 100 percent, Bataan St. Joseph Hospital – 91.67 percent, Bataan Womens Hospital – 52 percent, Centro Medico – 86.32 percent, and ICMC – 98.41 percent, all in Balanga City; Maheseco in Mariveles — 88.46 percent, and St. Michael in Orion – 72.73 percent.
Only Centro Medico among private hospitals has two available ICUs. The rest have none.
Bataenos are still waiting for the announcement as to when the enhanced community quarantine will begin in the province.
