Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia debunked allegations that three major hospitals in Cebu City are full of Covid-19 patients, describing it as “misleading” and “unfair.’
Garcia was responding to the statement of Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, head of the City’s Emergency Operations Center, that the three major hospitals of the province in Cebu City are on a “critical stage” and are “completely full.”
“You are presenting a misimpression because the public does not know the entire picture,” Garcia said. “It’s an unfair statement! Three hospitals are full to the brim? That’s very misleading and intellectually dishonest. After all, you are only talking on (sic) the Covid beds set aside.”
Garganera reported Tuesday that out of the 927 Covid beds in Cebu City, 545 are occupied.
Garcia, however, confirmed that there is a shortage of nurses assigned at Covid facilities but assured the province and the Department of Health (DOH) had asked hospitals to increase their capacity.
Dr. Jaime Bernadas, director of the DOH Central Visayas, said they had deployed 66 nurses in various private hospitals in Cebu City to increase their Covid ward capacities.
Bernadas reiterates that only severe Covd cases are to be brought to tertiary hospitals to prevent them from being overwhelmed, especially as more Delta variant cases are reported in Cebu.
DOH Central Visayas said there are 32 confirmed delta variant cases in Cebu. LapuLapu City records the highest with 16, Cebu City six, Mandaue City three, and two cases each in Cordova and Samboan towns.
On Tuesday, Garcia rallied all mayors in Cebu to unite their policies and appeal to the National Inter-Agency Task Force for the province not to be placed under a higher quarantine restriction.
However, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Wednesday that Cebu City and the entire province of Cebu is placed under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine until August 15, 2021. Ryan Sorote