By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
Negros Occidental’s provincial administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, revealed yesterday morning that the province’s primary treatment facility for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients at the Cadiz District Hospital remains at normal level despite a slight surge in COVID-19 cases recently.
Based on the province’s COVID-19 update as of Tuesday, August 2, the province recorded 15 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total active cases to 102.
At present, Diaz said the Cadiz District Hospital has a 30-bed capacity for COVID-19 patients, with 15 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 16 suspected cases.
“Ang 16 they have the symptoms pero ginahulat pa nila ang result sang RT-PCR test nila,” Diaz said.
He explained that the COVID-19 treatment facility is located at the annex building which is separate from the main hospital building where all other non-COVID patients are receiving treatment.
He also said that they can easily increase the number of COVID beds at the annex building if necessary as it has three levels.
At present, only the ground floor of the annex building is occupied while the two upper levels are placed on standby.
When asked if the current number of the COVID-19 active cases is just the “tip of the iceberg,” Diaz said their “real barometer” is to check COVID-19 patients who really need hospitalization, adding that some patients no longer require hospitalization and instead remedying their conditions through other means instead.
“Regardless if this is the tip of the iceberg or not, ang aton nga healthcare system wala pa gyapon gina-pressure,” Diaz said.
He further added that the COVID-19 situation in the province is not bad, and it will only become a concern if the patients start going to the hospital to seek medical attention.
The provincial administrator also likened the new strain of the COVID-19 to be more of a regular influenza wherein infected patients may develop symptoms such as sore throat and a three-day long fever, after which they suddenly recover.
“May iban nga gakapatay man sa influenza, pero laban-laban is kaya ta gid ya ang influenza. So subong ang symptoms are not bad that our constituents in Negros Occidental can manage,” he added./DGB, WDJ