AT LEAST 12 frontline health workers of Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) have tested positive for the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
In a virtual presser on Monday, April 13, SPMC chief Dr. Leopoldo Vega confirmed that out of some 300 frontline medical workers or those working in the Emergency Room (ER), Isolation Facility, Intensive Care Unit, Payward, 12 have tested positive for respiratory disease.
“All of them were admitted and only two this time remain in the hospital with moderate symptoms and they are improving and the rest already have been discharged,” Vega said.
The SPMC chief said those who recovered only experienced mild symptoms and had no underlying medical conditions.
Vega said aside from those suspected and probable individuals with Covid-19, their frontliners are also their priority when it comes to testing considering that they are most vulnerable to contracting the disease because they have direct contact with infected patients.
In March, SPMC received 5,000 testing kits from the Department of Health (DOH) national office. From March 31, they started conducting testing using a Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) machine to process the specimen from the patients.
By testing their frontline workers, Vega said it would help, especially those who are negative, boost their confidence in performing their duties and delivering medical assistance to patients.
In the wake of the pandemic, frontliners have experienced discrimination and harassment. Vega, meanwhile, expressed his gratitude to the community and private sector especially the hotels and inns in the city that offered accommodation to their frontliners. Some of their hospital workers are temporarily staying in these facilities for quarantine instead of going to their houses to avoid potential contamination of their families.
“I think we have good support also coming from the community and private sector in helping us out especially for the frontliners in supporting them in terms of lodging and even their basic provisions,” Vega said.