Since its creation in September, the One Hospital Command Center (OHCC) of the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center recorded its lowest hospital capacity utilization rate (CUR) in Bacolod City.
EOC records show that on December 4, all seven hospitals in Bacolod only reported an overall 38.79 percent CUR, a press release from the city said.
This rate is lower than the day before, that was also relatively low at 45.23 percent.
OHCC administrative officer, Dr. Claire Capiral, said that on Dec. 4, only 78 of 201 beds had been used for that day, leaving 123 more beds to accommodate incoming patients.
Of the 78 patients, 42 were from Bacolod while 36 were from other cities and towns in Negros Occidental, she added.
Admission rate of patients who tested positive for the coronavirus disease had steadily declined and cases had also gone down in the past months.
EOC deputy for medical, Dr. Hector Gayares, noted that in September, the CUR of Bacolod hospitals was at its peak at 91 percent but it eventually decreased at the end of the same month at 70 percent.
On October 7, the admission rate continued to go down to 67 percent.
“It follows that when the number of cases of Covid-19 goes down, the CUR in the hospitals also goes down,” Gayares said.
‘SAFEST IN COUNTRY’
On December 1, Inter-Agency Task Force–Visayas chief implementer, retired Major General Melquiades Feliciano, said that Bacolod “has flattened the curve” in the fight against Covid-19.
“What a gratifying result with all your hard work, Bacolod EOC. Bacolod City is one of the safest places in the country now,” Feliciano added.
Feliciano, who supervised the work of the EOC since early September, said adopting the OHCC has resulted in the decongestion of hospitals of Covid patients.
The healthcare facilities under the OHCC include the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center, Bacolod Queen of Mercy Hospital, Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital, Metro Bacolod Hospital and Medical Center, South Bacolod General Hospital, The Doctors’ Hospital, and the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.
Data released by the Department of Health Region 6 on December 3 showed that Bacolod only recorded four new cases with 19 recoveries and 229 total active cases.
‘GOOD WORK’
“The numbers are reflecting all your efforts. The fresh cases, probables and death data are telling the story. Keep up the good work,” Mia Feliciano, wife of Maj. Gen. Feliciano, who also helped in supervising the Bacolod EOC, said.
City Administrator Em Ang, EOC executive director and deputy for administration and operations, thanked the Feliciano couple for helping Bacolod City bring down the cases. “Thank you Gen. Mel and Ma’am Mia! We couldn’t have done it without your guidance and continued support. Praying that we will be able to sustain the downward trend of cases until we get a hold of vaccines,” Ang said.*
