Admissions at JMDMDH in Rizal, Kalinga exceed bed capacity; ‘Pneumonia is leading cause of admission’ — Dr. Jun Beda Malecdan

RIZAL, Kalinga — While the Juan M. Duyan Memorial District Hospital (JMDMDH) is experiencing an influx of patients and operating well beyond its bed capacity, Chief of Hospital Dr. Jun Beda Malecdan said the facility has enough manpower to attend to patients and ensure that the quality of healthcare services is not compromised.

Like the Kalinga Provincial Hospital, JMDMDH, an 18-bed infirmary operated by the Kalinga Provincial Government in Rizal, is also experiencing a surge in admissions.

As of October 6, 49 patients were admitted, bringing the hospital’s occupancy to 272.22% of its bed capacity.

In September, the hospital attended to a total of 1,263 patients, with an average daily ward census of 41 to 42 patients. Its highest recorded admission for the month was 51 patients.

According to Malecdan, pneumonia is the leading cause of admission at the hospital.

With JMDMDH currently operating at more than twice its bed capacity, some patients are occupying corridors, while others have brought their own folding beds.

Aside from admitted patients, the hospital also handles an average of 18 to 19 patients daily in its emergency room, including those seeking emergency consultations and those with infectious diseases and trauma cases.

Its outpatient department, meanwhile, attends to an average of 44 to 45 patients per day.

Additional healthcare workers

With the increasing number of patients and continued support from Provincial Governor James S. Edduba, Malecdan said the hospital has increased its number of nurses, medical technologists and nurse attendants and added two more doctors.

He said the current manpower complement, which meets the required staffing for a Level 1 hospital, is sufficient to handle the influx of patients.

JMDMDH currently has five resident doctors on duty, two of whom are in-house specialists, as well as five visiting consultants.

“We make it a point that the services are not being compromised,” Malecdan said.

He added that while the hospital’s overcrowding presents a challenge, it also reflects the community’s trust in the services being provided by JMDMDH.

Services offered at JMDMDH

JMDMDH provides a range of basic and upgraded healthcare services, including ultrasound and X-ray services, animal bite treatment, complete laboratory services, and specialist care in internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery and obstetrics and gynecology.

Malecdan said JMDMDH is the only district hospital in Kalinga capable of providing the aforementioned services, as well as services using a Total Urine Analyzer Machine.

He added that the hospital’s services are covered under the Medical Assistance to Indigent Patients (MAIP) program.