By CONG. B CORRALES
Associate Editor
THE situation at the state-owned Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) has gone from bad to worse.
Patient 40, the first person in Mindanao to test positive for the 2019 novel coronavirus disease, has gotten more serious.
And as doctors and nurses there struggle to contain the virus and treat the Covid-19 patient and those still being tested, they expose themselves to great risks in the process. NMMC chief Dr. Jose Chan said some of them are now under observation while others were advised to go on self-quarantine.
The Department of Health (DOH) announced on Wednesday that Patient 40 tested positive for the deadly virus. He was admitted to an Iligan hospital on March 3. After physicians there started suspecting that it was more than a case of community-acquired pneumonia, the 54-year-old man was moved to the NMMC on Sunday, March 8.
On Thursday, Dr. Chan said Patient 40 was critical. Yesterday, Chan said, “Mas serious siya karon kay sa kagahapon.”
Patient 40 is on a ventilator -- he is desperately gasping for air.
“Kung akong na ingon sa press conference kahapon (Thursday) nga serious ang pasyente. Karon mas mi-serious ang kahimtang sa pasyente karon (Friday),” Chan told reporters during a briefing at city hall.
Chan also expressed concern for health personnel at the NMMC who have been on the frontline here.
“Adunay mga tawag nga duna kuno’y doctor nga na-admit. Tinuod ka na. Naay mga health personnel nga ilang gi-evaluate ug gi-monitor. Ang uban gani niana, wala nato gipasulod sa ospital. Ang uban atong gi-advise-an nga mag-quarantine na lang sa balay,” said Chan.
He said the virus can be contracted by anyone. “Wala’y gipili kun doctor ka o dili ka doctor. Tanan tao vulnerable sa NCOV-19.”
Dr. Adriano Suba-an, DOH regional director, called for public to support and ecouragement for the health workers. He called them “brave and compassionate” frontliners in the campaign to contain the virus.
Suba-an said, “We have to protect them, we have to support them... If there will be people left standing, (they will be) our health workers.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Oscar Moreno called for calm and sobriety amid the threats posed to the city and the country by Covid-19.
Moreno said, “The worst thing that could happen is if we cave in to our fears.”
He added: “This now calls for patriotism... Do you want the community to rise up from this difficult situation or do you want to save yourself? This demands sacrifice from all of us. Ang sakripisyo sa katawhan is to do preventive measures... Maglikay lang.”
Moreno has taken a business-as-usual stance amid the coronavirus crisis that is threatening to bring the city, the country and other nations to their knees.
He said he would make a decision not to be popular but “because it is the right thing to do.”
For instance, Moreno said, the city council wants to him do away with the biometric time and attendance system at city hall as a precautionary measure.
“I will not do that,” he said. “If I do that, what’s going to be next? Papers? Soon, everyone in the office will be afraid of touching papers.”
Moreno called on citizens to continue to be aware of what’s happening and be alert but not give in to fear.
“Mabalaka kita pero dili kita magpataranta,” he said.
On Thursday, Moreno told reporters, “I am now tempted to cancel or suspend everything, but I have to be guided by DOH and Deped (Department of Education) guidelines.” (with Herbie Gomez)
