ABRA residents who tested positive of Covid–19 are being turned down by local hospitals.
Alex Bayubay, development management officer of the Department of Health (DOH) in Abra, admitted some local hospitals are turning down Covid infected patients due to fear of stigma and lack of health workers.
“Wag husgahan health workers, unawain natin sila at wag husgahan, magtulungan na lang tayo,” Bayubay said.
(Let us not judge health workers, instead we should understand them and help each other.)
Bayubay added health workers are risking their lives to save others and don’t deserve the social stigma.
At least two cases of Covid–19 were confirmed in the province with the first case labeled AC 1, a 39–year–old male, already cleared of the diseases and the second, a 49 – year – old male, labeled AC 2, now confined at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center and is in stable condition.
Bayubay said the AC 2 is a relative of AC 1 and has been denied confinement at the Abra Provincial Hospital as well as the nearby Batac Medical Center in Ilocos, and was left with no choice but to be brought to Baguio City to receive medical care.
Bayubay said the provincial hospitals refuse to accept Covid-19 cases as health personnel have refused to report to work because of a stigma in the area for frontline workers and have no choice but to refer the sick to Baguio City.
Cordillera logged its first Covid positive case with the Abra OFW who was reported to have gone to Bangued, Licuan-Baay and Sallapadan towns as well as La Union.
No hospital took the sick OFW and was instead quarantined at his residence at Barangay Katakdengan Nuevo, Manabo, Abra.
Bayubay assured all contact of the first case was traced with the help of municipal health workers.
Doctor Amelita Pangilinan, DOH – CAR regional director admitted the move of the Abra hospitals to ban Covid positive patients have caused stress and is to the disadvantage of people from the province.
“Kawawa naman ang mga taga Abra, although they [the hospitals] have a reason na natatakot daw ang mga health workers nila, let’s give them time,” Pangilinan said.
The regional director said she is at a loss on which government agency will deal with the stand of the Abra medical facilities to refuse treatment and admission for Covid positive patients saying she is not sure if it is the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the local government unit, or the health department.
Bayubay said Abra provincial government is currently looking into an area dedicated for Covid–19 patients while trying to solve the problem on a lack of health workers. In the meantime, patients with symptoms are advised to do home quarantine or inquire at barangays in the province if there is an area set up.
Reports reveal there are three patients in the province under home quarantine.