PGH appeals for patient transfers amid South Africa variant case

The Philippine General Hospital (PGH) is appealing for patient transfers to other COVID-19 referral facilities due to an increase in cases, including a patient with the South African variant.

As of Sunday, March 7, PGH has 105 patients in its charity and pay ward, which has a capacity of 200 beds. The ICU also has limited capacity.

PGH spokesperson Dr. Jonas Del Rosario confirmed that the Philippine Genome Center identified one specimen from PGH with the South African variant, leading to stricter health measures at the hospital.

These measures include suspending clerk and intern rotations due to recent increases in cases among healthcare workers.

The DOH met with NCR hospitals on Saturday to address the spike in admissions following the arrival of vaccines. PGH has temporarily suspended face-to-face consultations and suspects new variants are contributing to the increase.