Hospital beds intended for COVID-19 patients are now overwhelmed and cemeteries are no longer able to put up with the number of burials in Cebu City.
Dozens of patients tethered to oxygen tanks were seen outside one private hospital waiting to be accommodated inside.
Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak said on August 2 that ambulances carrying patients are parked outside hospitals’ emergency rooms that were already full.
Tumulak said he could not identify how many of the patients were COVID-19 positive as swab test results take two to three.
Meanwhile, residents from Cebu City and province were seen buying oxygen tanks for their family members that cannot be accommodated in hospitals.
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, however, said the supply of oxygen tanks is sufficient. The government would also be providnig 50 oxygen tanks to four provincial hospitals and will add more if needed.
At least 26 cemeteries in Cebu City have reached their full capacity earlier this month.
As of August 8, Monday, four of the fifteen COVID-19 facilities in the city reached critical-level capacity or above 85% while four others are already at high risk with 70%-80% capacity.
Due to the rise in the number of deaths, the deceased whose family could not afford cremation have to be buried within 24 hours.
“Lahat ng mga sementeryo natin dito sa City proper, napupuno na talaga. Subalit duon sa mga rural areas, may dalawa pa tayong cemetery na pwede pa nating magamit,” Tumulak said.
The local government is planning to purchase more freezers to increase the capacity of mortuaries and funeral homes.
Those who cannot accommodate more burials were among the city’s biggest cemeteries, there are:
- Calamba Cemetery
- Pardo Roman Catholic Cemetery
- Queen City Memorial Garden
- Municipal Cemetery
- Veterans Cemetery
Tumulak called upon the national government to support private and public hospitals that are lacking manpower to accommodate COVID-19 patients.
“Kawawa naman po ang private hospitals natin kasi kulang po sila ng staff. It needs the intervention of the national government to support our private hospitals, not only private hospitals but also public hospitals.”
On August 3, 132 health frontliners were infected by COVID-19 virus in Cebu.
