Most of Caloocan hospital’s Covid patients unvaccinated

About 55 percent of the 274 coronavirus patients currently confined at the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium in Caloocan City are unvaccinated, according to a report by Philippine News Agency.

Medical Director Dr. Alfonso Victorino Famaran Jr. on Monday said 53 percent of the hospital's 520 beds dedicated to Covid-19 patients are occupied.

Of the 274 patients, 43 percent are fully vaccinated and 2 percent are partially vaccinated.

Famaran said the hospital, also known as Tala hospital, does not accept patients with mild and moderate symptoms and those not requiring oxygen.

"Iyong mga naka-admit po dito (Those who are confined are with(sad) severe cases, 8 patients or 3 percent, critical cases 7 or 2.6 percent, moderate cases 259 or 94 percent po," Famaran said during the “Laging Handa” briefing.

Famaran also shared that 510 of the hospital's 1,300 health care workers are in isolation due to infection or exposure to coronavirus patients.

“Currently, ‘yung (our) health care workers are under home quarantine,” he said, adding that 99.2 percent of the hospital’s workers have received primary series of the Covid-19 vaccines while majority already have booster or additional doses.

Despite the lack of personnel, Famaran said hospital operations continue with the 229 additional personnel dispatched by the Department of Health.

Health authorities emphasize that unvaccinated individuals are more prone to contracting Covid-19 infection, particularly the highly transmissible Omicron variant, and may develop severe symptoms.