PAMPANGA -- An influenza A (H1N1) survivor in Mexico town is complaining about the "inefficient and irresponsible" handling of his case by the Department of Health (DOH) in Central Luzon.

Bonifacio Guevarra of Barangay San Rafael, Mexico, said in an e-mail to the House committee on health and the World Health Organization (WHO) that he hopes the government can look on how effective regional offices of the DOH and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) are in handling suspected cases of A (H1N1).

For updates from around the country, follow Sun.Star on Twitter

Guevarra said it took the DOH and RITM eight days to release the result of his tests, instead of the standard two to three days.

"I would like to let your good office be aware of my predicament about how the Department of Health handles the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, specifically the DOH regional office in Central Luzon. I was found to be positive with the said virus after days of inefficient and irresponsible handling of mandated government agencies/offices," Guevarra said in his letter to House health committee chairman Arthur Pingol.

Guevarra started to feel sick on June 15, with a sore throat, occasional dry cough and slight fever. On June 17, he had himself undergone swab testing at the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital in the City of San Fernando.

"I was advised to stay home and take regular paracetamol drugs while waiting for the results from two to three days. I did not report for work as told," he narrated. However, Guevarra was disappointed with the seeming lack of seriousness of the DOH in following up the results of his tests.

Guevarra made several follow-ups of the result of his swab test to no avail. In between, no DOH doctor or nurse made a house visit to check on him or called to inquire if the symptoms had waned or worsened, he said.

It was only when the result was finally released on June 25 that the DOH regional office gave Guevarra 10 tablets of anti-viral tablet, Tamiflu, that were to expire in five days.

"I was told that I was infected with the virus three days after RITM had the results. I was told of my situation after exposing [myself to] at least 60 personnel in my office. I was even the one who called the director. What if I do not have enough load credits then? I was even given Tamiflu that will expire on July 2009," Guevarra said.

Central Luzon Health Regional Director Rio Magpantay, for his part, said: "I will have to reconcile his accusations with my staff and that of the central office."

The DOH is set to answer Guevarra's allegations in a press conference Monday at the DOH regional office.

Asked if the DOH has set up a feedback system for H1N1 patients, Magpantay said: "We are learning. This is a new virus. We are aware that we have to improve the system. We are open to comments and we discuss them to come up with better management."

As of July 1, the DOH reported that 86 percent or 1,485 of the 1,709 confirmed A (H1N1) cases in the country have already recovered. Some 14 percent or 224 patients are still under treatment.

The World Health Organization, meanwhile, recorded 70,893 cases with 311 deaths from 109 reporting countries worldwide as of June 29. (Ian Ocampo Flora of Sun.Star Pampanga/Sunnex)