TACLOBAN CITY — The Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC), based this city, has appealed to the public and health facilities across the region to limit referrals to critical and life-saving cases only as the hospital continues to grapple with severe overcrowding.
In an advisory issued on October 5, 2025, EVMC reported that it has already exceeded its authorized bed capacity by 125 percent, while its Emergency Room (ER) was operating at a staggering 193 percent capacity. The hospital said the unprecedented patient load has stretched its manpower and facilities to near full capacity.
To ensure the safety and welfare of patients, EVMC advised healthcare providers to refer only Level III cases—those needing urgent, life-saving care that cannot be managed at the provincial or district hospital level.
The facility also cautioned that, during peak surges, some patients might need to remain in ambulances while hospital staff attend to those who arrived earlier due to the limited space inside the ER.
The hospital assured the public that it is exerting all necessary efforts to address the congestion, including measures to streamline patient flow and expand access to services through ongoing modernization.
At present, EVMC has 629 functional beds, but plans to expand to 1,500 beds by 2028 under a multi-year modernization program.
The expansion includes the construction of new buildings, acquisition of modern medical equipment, and upgrades to digital and information systems to improve healthcare delivery in Eastern Visayas.
As the largest referral hospital in the region, EVMC continues to receive patients from all six provinces, especially from Samar and Southern Leyte, where higher-level hospitals are still being developed.
To help ease the burden on EVMC, the government has initiated the construction of two tertiary-level hospitals outside Tacloban City: a 300-bed Samar Island Medical Center in Calbayog City, and a 150-bed general hospital in Sogod, Southern Leyte, which is being upgraded from its current 25-bed district hospital.
These projects, according to the Department of Health are expected to decentralize medical services and reduce travel time for patients who currently rely on EVMC for advanced care.
Once completed, they are also expected to significantly decongest the regional medical center and improve access to quality healthcare across Eastern Visayas.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA, JOEY A. GABIETA)
