INDIAN students of a medical school in Davao City complained of alleged prolonged isolation inside their dormitory.
The dormitory management, however, clarified that with the alarming number of recorded positive Covid-19 cases in the dorm, the City Health Office requested that the dormitory be under strict isolation protocols.
Last week, a group of Indian medical students staying at their school dormitory located along Juan Luna St., Davao City shared to SunStar Davao their experience of being isolated in their dorm rooms since November 21.
According to Willie, name withheld, they were allowed to go out and buy essential goods when the city was placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ). They were allowed to go out twice per week from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. However, when Davao City reverted to GCQ in November, he said they were asked to stay inside the compound.
They do not have Food and Medicine (FM) Pass, but the dorm management provided for their food, medicine, and other essential needs.
“We were allowed to roam inside the dorm premises until November 26 after that because of a positive case the isolation (inside our rooms) started and went on till now. Before November 26, we were at least allowed to go out in the dorm lawn but now we are inside our rooms with no updates,” said Willie, who added the isolation has also taken its toll on their mental health.
In an interview with Dr. Fitzgerald Arancel, he said Barangay 29-C, where the dormitory belongs, was tagged as a critical risk barangay in Davao City from December 13 to 19. Prior to that, the barangay was a high-risk barangay. The management needed to implement strict quarantine measures in the dormitory similar to that of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) or Modified ECQ.
“This is the main reason why they need to be in different levels of quarantine,” said Arancel, who works closely with the company bringing in medical students to the medical school from India.
To date, there are already a total of 30 cases of Covid-19 recorded in the dormitory. Arancel said 29 of these have already been reintegrated in the dormitory while another one remains in the quarantine facility of the city.
“If we don’t follow the protocols, we are not in firm control of Covid-19 in our dormitory. There have been incidents of students, not only the Indian students, roaming around the city without social distancing. That’s what we’re trying to avoid,” he added.
Arancel said the loose quarantine protocols they imposed on the students during MGCQ triggered transmission inside the dormitory. He recalled how eight months ago, especially during the first implementation of GCQ and ECQ, there were zero cases in the dormitory because the strict implementation of protocols was followed.
He, however, assured that the mental well-being of the students are being taken care of as they provide them with nurses and medical practitioners they can talk and open up to. Food, medicine and other essential goods are also being taken care of. Hence, he said, there would be no need to supply them with FM passes.
“Everyone is in some degree of mental stress because of the quarantine. The school instituted mentoring programs both for Filipino and Indian medical students. They are assigned to different faculty members. The company also sees to it that the students are being visited every day,” he said.
On the other hand, another Indian student, Roy, name withheld, was able to transfer to another apartment in Barangay 19-B near the medical school before GCQ. He is staying with some of his friends.
Roy, however, complained that when he went to the barangay hall to secure an FM Pass, he was told that they no longer issue FM passes to Indian medical students.
“When the FM pass was reimplemented, I went to my barangay to ask for FM pass or certification. I stood there for five hours under the hot sun but the people who wrote after me got the pass but I didn't. When I asked why they said they do not give FM passes to Indians. I asked who told them and they said the IMD (International Medical Doctors) Council. How can I get my groceries and other stuff if I can’t even enter the mall? It’s really very hectic for us. I don't know what grievance they have on us. It is very difficult for me to buy everything in small shops because of the price range compared to malls,” said Roy.
Sheary Rea Andolana, dormitory manager, said a total of 50 FM passes were issued by the barangay and were distributed to the students in 19-B. However, she said there were cases that the passes were lost or are being passed around. Others who do not own the FM passes use it to enter malls.
“It was the barangay who decided to not issue FM passes to the students anymore. I’ve asked them to consider but they’ve decided not to anymore because 19-B is also a high-risk barangay. It’s their way of regulating the number of people going in and out of the barangay,” said Andolana.
SunStar Davao continues to seek Barangay 19-B's official statement on the issue.