MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA)--The surge of coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 cases here has forced the Amai Pakpak Medical Center (APMC) to raise its operating status to Code Red Monday, August 9.

In a public advisory issued by the APMC COVID-19 Task Force on August 12, the APMC management announced that its  COVID-19 care utilization is now on a critical level as dedicated beds for COVID-19 are almost fully occupied.

As such, APMC is temporarily reducing the operating capacity of its out-patient and in-patient services to focus more on COVID-19 response and operation.

Individuals with suspected COVID-19 symptoms were encouraged to immediately seek medical care to the nearest Rural Health Units or other hospitals or clinics in their respective areas so that APMC can prioritize the admission of COVID-19 patients.

As of August 12, the medical center reported that seven (7) new COVID-19 patients were admitted raising the total number of its current COVID-19 admission to 103. Thirty (30) of the admitted patients are from the different municipalities of Lanao del Sur, 19 from Marawi City, 23 from Iligan City, 29 from Lanao del Norte, and two (2) from Misamis Oriental. (APB/PIA-ICIC)