Google map of Bukidnon province.
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY--The Provincial Health Office (PHO) of Bukidnon urged on Thursday all local government units (LGUs) in the area to make use of their respective coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patient care centers first in order not to overwhelm the Bukidnon Provincial Medical Center (BPMC).
Dr. Gary Guido Tabios, PHO chief, noted that since BMPC is the only DOH-designated Covid-19 treatment center in the province, it cannot reject admissions of patients.
However, Tabios said LGUs should exhaust their capacity first to avoid overcrowding at the provincial hospital.
“Another option is for the local government units (LGUs) to use temporarily its isolation facilities until advised by the BPMC that a vacancy is available,” Dr. Tabios said.
Should BPMC reaches capacity, he said the hospital would be forced to make patients wait at the emergency room and admit only when a vacancy exists.
Dr. Miguel Antonio Prantilla, BPMC chief, earlier said the surge in infection in Bukidnon required coordination among local hospitals for a faster response during admissions.
Bukidnon's 20 towns and two cities recorded 456 active Covid-19 cases as of Thursday.
Recoveries account for 3,392 or 86.8 percent of all cases.
Meanwhile, Valencia City Public Information Officer Samuel Langub said the local government's isolation center currently has over 200 patients--well within the maximum limit.
Valencia City is now considered the epicenter of coronavirus infections in Bukidnon, according to PHO.
Langub said the City Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has reopened isolation centers in rural barangays beginning with Batangan and Lumbo.
Region 10 data
Overall, Northern Mindanao Region logged 603 additional new cases as of Wednesday evening, bringing the active cases to 4,064.
In the same period, Northern Mindanao has also recorded 10 additional Covid-19 related deaths, bringing the total deaths to 602 since the pandemic broke out last year.
Data showed that Cagayan de Oro City has the most number of total cases since last year at 6,924, followed by Bukidnon (4,046), Misamis Oriental (3,193), Misamis Occidental (2,298), Iligan City (1,875), Lanao del Norte (1,058), and Camiguin (140). (PNA)
