THE Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed), one of the largest hospitals in Metro Manila, said it was ready for admission surges amid the threat of the dreaded Delta variant of the coronavirus that caused a catastrophic second wave in India where it was first detected.

MakatiMed Medical Director Dr. Saturnino Javier said in a media roundtable on Wednesday that the hospital had gathered enough lessons during the virus spike in March and April to prepare for the situation.

Javier said the MakatiMed was also ready to serve nonCovid-19 patients.

He said added into their action plan were the conversion of some areas in the hospital into negative-pressure Covid-19 wings, close coordination between key departments, creation of a bed prioritization team for Covid-19 cases, home-care packages for mild and moderate Covid-19 patients, and expansion of their telemedicine services.

Emphasizing MakatiMed’s commitment to service, Javier said they never turned away a single emergency case despite operating at full capacity during the surge.

He said almost all of the hospital’s staff, including outsourced employees, have been inoculated with Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine or AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria vaccine.

MakatiMed President and Chief Executive Pilar Nenuca Almira said they were committed to serve and expand amid the challenges of the pandemic.