Barmm health dept denies having a patient positive of coronavirus

By Nora Soriño
Iligan City Bureau Chief
and Mariz Revales
Correspondent

Marawi City — The Ministry of Health of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Mindanao over the weekend has issued an advisory denying reports that there is an overseas Filipino worker who tested positive of the novel coronavirus.

The said report, which circulated in social media, was by the Marawi City Police Chief, Col. Thomas Pantaleon. In the report, it was said that this particular OFW came from Macau, and hails from this city and has been identified as one Soraida Pablo, 51, female, and separated.

The MOH-Barmm under Minister Saffrulah Dipatuan denied such report saying that “there is no case of coronavirus infected patient in Marawi City even as there is no patient under investigation.”

The advisory disclosed that the patient who allegedly has that disease came from Macau who recently came home to Marawi to attend the wedding of her daughter.

“She has no signs or symptoms whatsoever and she was examined by doctors at the Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi,” the advisory reads, adding that the OFW was sent home and advised to self-quarantine.

She is merely a person under monitoring, the advisory said.

It was learned that the OFW after arriving in NAIA via a PAL flight was held at the Laguindingan airport on Feb. 3 but was released shortly.

She was fetched by her family and went directly to the Department of Labor and Employment.

The OFW then together with her family stayed briefly at Buru-un, Iligan City and on Feb. 6, they went to her residence at Barangay Papandayan, Bliss, Canyugan, Marawi City on Feb.  7.

It was learned that at about 2:00 pm on Feb. 7, the MOH-Barmm personnel, together with Pantaleon and his staff and the Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel held a meeting so as to assure that proper procedures and protocols have been followed.