Manila: The Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC) has issued an urgent advisory informing the public and healthcare facilities in the region that it has exceeded its authorized bed capacity. As of Oct. 5, the region's only hospital designed to treat level 3 cases has a 125 percent occupancy in hospital beds. The hospital's emergency room (ER), meanwhile, is operating at 193-percent occupancy. The ER's bed capacity is only 60, but the hospital said it has been treating 120 to 130 patients at any given time.

According to Philippines News Agency, "In light of this situation, EVMC advises that only level 3 cases -- those requiring urgent, life-saving interventions that cannot be adequately managed at local healthcare facilities -- should be referred to the hospital at this time," the hospital said in its advisory on Tuesday. The EVMC has a bed capacity of 629, but the actual number of patients has gone up to more than 1,000, prompting management to use overflow areas, temporarily convert other parts of the facility for patient care, and increase the workload of existing staff.

'Due to the current strain on resources, patients referred to EVMC may experience delays, and in the event of a surge in critical cases, referred patients might need to remain in referring ambulances while the hospital accommodates patients who arrived earlier,' the hospital management said. Many EVMC patients are transported directly from rural health units or by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office without seeking medical attention first from district and provincial hospitals.

The EVMC said it receives patients suffering from diarrhea, minor injuries, pneumonia, and normal birth deliveries. The regional hospital assured the public that it is exerting all necessary efforts to address the overcapacity issue and manage patient care effectively. The largest hospital in the region, EVMC is confident of attaining its target of 1,500 hospital beds by 2028, nearly triple its current capacity.