THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has yet to establish a connection among the four illegal Covid-19 clinics discovered by operatives in Pampanga, Parañaque City and Makati City.
PNP Chief Archie Gamboa said that while the intention of those running the clinics is good, they violated the law.
“Hindi pa namain naestablish (ang connection) but probably kung makita rin natin really kaya siguro din nila ginagawa ito dahil gusto rin nilang magkaroon ng lunas ‘yung kanilang may mga sakit na kasama but again let us not forget na kahit na ‘yung intensyon niyo maganda kailangan pa rin kayo dumaan sa regulatory functions ng gobyerno,” he said.
On April 26, authorities discovered a clinic containing assorted Chinese medicines which were allegedly being used to treat patients suffering from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Parañaque Police Chief Robin King Sarmiento said the discovery of the clinic was accidental after the household help of Liang Yumei, the caretaker of the house that was converted into a clinic, sought assistance from barangay officials so she could go home after being fired from work.
When the barangay officials arrived at the house, they saw boxes of Chinese medicines which prompted them to coordinate with the City Health Office.
The medicines were found to be illegal as these were not registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Yumei was arrested.
The incident prompted authorities to inspect a Chinese clinic on the same street where they also found boxes of Chinese medicines.
Sarmiento said the medicines were similar to those being sold on social media.
On May 19, elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) raided a villa at the Fontana Leisure Park in Clark where they found a makeshift clinic for Chinese nationals infected with the novel coronavirus, or Sars-CoV-2.
Boxes of unlicensed Chinese medicines and syringes were recovered from the villa.
Brigadier General Rhoderick Armamento, CIDG deputy director for administration, said Chinese nationals Ling Hu and Seung-Hyun Lee, a pharmacist, were running the facility.
He said the couple arrived in the country in November with a working permit.
“Magma- manage sila ng isang medical facility pero di specific kung saan,” he said.
Charges
He said charges for the violation of Republic Act 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration Act, RA 4226 or the Hospital Licensure Act, and RA 10918 or the Pharmacy Law, will be filed against the couple.
Armamento said over 490 employees and guests of the said resort who were present during the raid have already been swabbed and their specimens sent to the laboratory for testing for Sars-CoV-2.
They were tested since they may have come into contact with the 19 patients who were undergoing treatment in the said clinic.
“Continuing pa rin ‘yung lockdown ng Fontana Leisure Park...We are just waiting for the result as soon as makuha namin ‘yung result ng swabbing mapa find out na natin kung sino ang positive at negative so doon natin made- determine kung ilang days ‘yung quarantine period noong lugar na yun,” Armamento said.
On May 26, the Makati Police raided a Chinese clinic at the New Lasema Spa building located in Barangay San Antonio in Makati.
Makati Police chief Police Colonel Oscar Jacildo said the operation stemmed from complaints of the residents in the said area about a drainage system leading to the clinic which is frequently clogged by hospital waste.
Authorities found that the clinic was turned into a medical facility by the renters identified as David Lai, a doctor, and Bruce Lai. Both were arrested.
There were also Chinese nationals who were being treated for Covid-19 during the time of operation.
Recovered from the clinic were various medical supplies such as syringes, Covid-19 testing kits and several boxes of Chinese medicine that were not registered with the FDA.
On May 28, the National Bureau of Investigation arrested two Chinese nationals, one of whom was a doctor, during a raid in a residential house in a subdivision in Angeles City in Pampanga.
Similar Chinese medicines were recovered from the house which the NBI suspected is also being used as an underground clinic to treat Covid-19 patients.
Charges against the arrested suspects have already been filed in the court. (SunStar Philippines)