NOTHERN Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC), the Covid-19 referral hospital in the region, raised on Friday, May 21, its operating status to code red.
This allowed NMMC, including the Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Disease (Cereid) facility in Barangay San Simon, Cagayan de Oro City, to increase its operating capacity to treat Covid-19 patients from 40 percent to 50 percent.
“We are increasing our operating capacity to 50 percent gikan sa 40 percent kay yellow code man mi before the red,” NMMC Research Center head Dr. Gina Itchon said.
“That means 50 percent of our capacity is now dedicated for Covid patients, including San Simon Cereid,” she added.
According to Itchon, the health care capacity of NMMC is now stretched to its maximum level and there is no more alert status after code red.
The referral hospital has also increased its critical Covid-19 beds from 24 to 30, while its outpatients services will be reduced from 300 patients to 150 patients a day.
Itchon said it is because every available doctor and nurse will handle Covid-19 cases.
“Bisan pag unsa nga code ang among buhaton, kung dili gyud mokunhod ang number of cases, lisod gihapon ta. Kinahanglan mogamay ang kaso para maka cope ang mga hospitals,” Itchon said.
“Magpatabang na sad mi sa private hospitals nga ilang tabangan mi sa non COvid cases kay ang mahitabo ani kasagaran puro Covid gyud ang makapaingon sa NMMC,” she added.
The NMMC has recorded 182 Covid-19 admissions in October 2020, which was last year’s highest peak of admitted patients in the hospital.
The figure, however, was already surpassed as the hospital recorded 234 Covid-19 admissions as of May 19, 2021.
“Kinahanglan magamay na ang kaso kay dili na mi kabalo kung asa namo ibutang ang mga pasyente,” Itchon said.
