BY JOSE PAOLO S. DELA CRUZ
According to Makati Medical Center (MMC) president & CEO Atty. Pilar Nenuca Almira, stricter lockdowns and vaccination drives are helping the medical community in their battle against the most recent surge of COVID-19 in the country.
In an e-mail interview with PeopleAsia, Almira revealed that despite the lockdowns and the rise in COVID-19 infections –111,720 active cases as of Aug. 19 – certain data from the Makati Medical Center indicate that it could very well be winning its battle against the pandemic.
“This surge in August is not as bad as what we had in March 2021. It is because the lockdown was decided upon ahead of time. Vaccination has also helped in preventing the spread of the virus; and preventing infected individuals from suffering severe or critical conditions. I would suppose this is the same observation across the industry,” she said.
For instance, of MMC’s 358 COVID-19 cases from June to Aug.06 this year, only 23 percent had received their shots. The other 77 percent were yet to receive their jabs at the time of their infection.
What’s more, only 53 percent of vaccinated patients suffered from severe or critical cases, as compared to 74 percent of unvaccinated patients.
“Vaccination really helped a lot,” added Almira. “Severe cases are significantly lower, as well as deaths. Many of those who went into severe and critical conditions were unvaccinated. This is what we experienced in our hospital.”
Still, Almira warns that while numbers in their hospital are generally positive, some areas in the country were hit harder this time around. “There are several areas which are hit worse than in March 2021. This is likely due to limited vaccination in their areas, and the spread of Delta variant,” she added.
To build on their success, Almira and her team also ensures that MMC continues to learn from experience. “Protocols are continually reviewed for improvements. Communication on the observance of protocols is tighter. We seriously implement distancing, wearing of mask and shields, wearing of PPEs where warranted, and enforcing washing of hands and using alcohol for hand hygiene. Our Infection Control team continues to monitor all our COVID-19 cases to learn from the experience and be guided more,” she said.
Another silver lining: less healthcare professionals are getting infected, at least within the turf of MMC. This is a result of the hospital’s increased efforts in teleconsultation and telemedicine, and investing in equipment, medication and manpower for both COVID-19 and non-COVID cases.
“We adopted the attitude of being prepared come what may, being a hospital to truly heal, care and provide comfort. We have taken this pandemic as a reality we need to embrace,” she concluded.
