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St Luke’s still full but fewer COVID patients lining up at ER, says hospital chief

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/03/24/20200323-covid19-luzonlockdown-st-lukes-qc-jc-9351.jpg"/><figcaption>Health workers walk outside the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City on March 23, 2020. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA—St. Luke&#x27;s Medical Center remains at full capacity but there are fewer COVID-19 patients at its emergency room, its chief medical officer said Tuesday.This could be due to additional government isolation facilities, more virus beds in other hospitals, the rise of tele-consult services, and a possible decrease in COVID-19 cases following a 2-week strict lockdown, according to Dr. Benjamin Campomanes.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/metro-manila-hospitals-on-full-capacity-due-to-covid19-a-year-into-lockdown">COVID-19 cases rising: More NCR hospitals on full capacity &#x27;just like last year&#x27;</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/26/21/viral-st-lukes-hospitals-campaign-to-halt-covid-19-will-make-you-wear-a-mask-stay-at-home">VIRAL: St Luke’s Hospital’s campaign to halt COVID-19 will make you wear a mask, stay at home</a></li></ul>&quot;Although full capacity pa rin kami, ang nahalata namin is ang pila namin sa emergency from mild to moderate ay nabawasan,&quot; Campomanes told ABS-CBN&#x27;s Teleradyo.(Although we&#x27;re still at full capacity, we can see that the line in our emergency room from mild to moderate has decreased.)St. Luke&#x27;s, which has 250 COVID-19 beds in its 2 hospitals in Taguig and Quezon City, has been accepting only moderate to critical virus cases, Campomanes said.It does not reserve beds for any COVID-19 case, and it is best for patients to call ahead before going to the hospital, he added.&quot;Wala hong ganu&#x27;n. Pwedeng iyong nag-aantay sa ER ay hingalo na, kaya hindi ho kami naga-accept ng reservation para sa COVID,&quot; he said.(There&#x27;s no such thing. Those who are waiting in the ER could be dying, so we do not accept reservation for COVID.)&quot;Pipila ho talaga kayo. Madaming VIP sa&#x27;min na pumila bago makakuha ng kuwarto.&quot;(You will need to wait your turn. Many VIPs lined up before they got a room.)Patients who experience difficulty breathing or whose oxygen saturation rate has gone below 92 percent must be confined, according to Campomanes.&quot;Ang importante po talaga is paghinga, acute respiratory syndrome ito. Baga ang tinatamaan,&quot; he said.(Breathing is what&#x27;s important. This is an acute respiratory syndrome. It will hit your lungs.)Non-COVID patients are urged to visit the hospital as it has a separate emergency room for such cases, he added.The hospital&#x27;s virus transmission rate remains low and infections are usually contracted in the community, Campomanes said.&quot;OK po naman. Meron ho kaming mass testing na nangyayari ngayon,&quot; he said when asked about the hospital&#x27;s frontliners.(They&#x27;re OK. We&#x27;re doing mass testing right now.)The Philippines on Monday reported 11,378 more COVID-19 cases, bringing its total to 876,225. Of this figure, 157,451 or 18 percent are active infections.It is forecast to reach 1 million virus cases by the end of the month, OCTA Research earlier said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/05/21/philippine-covid-19-caseload-may-reach-1-million-by-end-april-octa">Philippines&#x27; total COVID-19 cases may reach 1 million by end-April: OCTA</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1660123" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

This could be due to additional government isolation facilities, more virus beds in other hospitals, and the rise of tele-consult services, among other reasons.

This could be due to additional government isolation facilities, more virus beds in other hospitals, and the rise of tele-consult services, among other reasons.