A recent World Health Organization (WHO) study revealed that the Philippines has a very low bed density, with only 10 hospital beds available per 10,000 patients.

In the study, it showed that the Philippines — along with Cambodia, Samoa and Solomon Islands — have a bed density of between nine and 10 beds per 10,000 population and the countries “might face substantial challenges in accommodating patients during surges in demand.”

“The number of hospital beds available per 10,000 population is commonly used as a proxy measure for the capacity and readiness of a health system to provide inpatient services and its potential to manage surges in demand, especially during public health emergencies when a sudden influx of patients may require hospitalization,” the WHO said.

“This indicator can give insights into the overall infrastructure and resource allocation of the health system, as well as the ability of a country to provide adequate care for its population,” it added.

The WHO also said that Japan and the Republic of Korea had a very high bed density but did not disclose further data.

A 2022 Philippine Institute for Development Studies found that among the provinces with less than 0.5 per 1,000 population bed density are Masbate (0.05), Occidental Mindoro (0.096), Guimaras (0.133), Davao de Oro (0.141), and Sulu (0.15).

Central Luzon, Calabarzon and the National Capital Region, meanwhile, have the highest median hospital bed capacity (0.735).

However, this is still short of the Department of Health’s (DoH) recommended ratio of one bed to 1,000 population.

Over the weekend, Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center and Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center said their emergency rooms and wards are currently at full capacity.

While there is no specific disease that caused the full capacity of the two Manila hospitals, the DoH assured the public that other nearby medical centers are available to receive patients, including San Lazaro Hospital, Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, and UP-PGH General Hospital.