Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso announced that the Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital (JJASGH), one of the six city hospitals of Manila, has temporarily stopped accepting non-coronavirus OB patients.

In an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel on Monday, Domagoso said the hospital’s occupancy rate has already reached its capacity.

“The other day we closed our acceptance yung mga manganganak sa (those who will give birth at the) Justice Jose Abad Santos Hospital kasi we’ve reached 233 percent of our load capacity for pregnant women. That day alone we have six pending mothers that need to, by caesarian, kailangan operahan (needs to be operated on),” he said.

Domagoso said to help the doctors decongest the hospital, they have augmented using adjacent hospitals, such as the Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center.

In an advisory, the JJASGH management said the hospital occupancy rate is now at 233-percent, which is already double their actual capacity.

“There are six patients waiting to undergo a cesarean section, and we have only one operating room. Our other operating room is for COVID-19 patients. Even non-duty OB doctors are being recalled to help the duty team. There are 31 patients in the recovery room with a capacity of only eight,” it said.

Before this, Domagoso said they have already earlier closed Ospital ng Maynila for new patients, with the exception of life and death situation.

“What is happening right now is that we are already in a situation that transmission is now happening between medical front-liners to medical front-liners,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

What the city government is doing right now to address the situation, he said, is to place mild and asymptomatic Covid-19 patients in quarantine facilities.

Domagoso reiterated his call anew to the public to be aware of the importance of following the safety health protocols.

These include the wearing of face mask most especially in public places, frequent hand washing, observance of safe physical distancing, and staying home as much as possible.

Domagoso added that while Manila is placed under modified enhanced community quarantine, the city government will take this opportunity to continue testing people for Covid-19 and tracing those who are in their database. (PNA)