By Felipe V. Celino
ROXAS CITY, Capiz – A lady medical frontliner of the Mambusao District Hospital (MDH) who tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) fled while health personnel were preparing to transfer her to the hospital for treatment.
Dr. Ian Arciga, acting chief of MDH, confirmed that one of their medical frontliners and resident of Sapi-an, Capiz, was positive for COVID-19 using the antigen test.
Arciga did not name the frontliner but Daily Guardian learned that she is the wife of Sangguniang Bayan member Jonathan Gallardo of Sapian.
Arciga said the medical frontliner was isolated while waiting to be transferred to Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital (RMPH) because of fever, cough, cold and asthma-like symptoms.
But the hospital management was surprised when the security guard informed them that the frontliner was already inside the car with her husband.
Arciga immediately informed the Municipal Health Officer (MHO) of Sapi-an to intercept the car where the frontliner was riding.
But when they proceeded to the house of the frontliner, she was already inside their house.
It was learned from the MHO of Sapian that the frontliner did not want to be admitted to RMPH as the family wanted to transfer her to Iloilo City.
Arciga clarified that the employee initially refused to undergo antigen test for COVID-19.
But she finally decided to undergo the test Sunday afternoon and the result was positive.
Arciga did not name the lady employee and her department. But he assured that she had no close contact with MDH patients.
Aside from the regular disinfection in the area where the employee was assigned, medical frontliners were in complete with personal protective equipment (PPEs), thus, why there is low possibility that she infected others.
“Our medical staff and hospital employees regularly underwent antigen test. Gamay ang chance nga makasulod sa amon nga hospital ang COVID patient bangud nga sa pagsulod pa lamang, ma-agi na sila sa isolation kag igapa-idalum sa test, kag kun mag positive ka sa antigen, igasaylo ini gilayon sa RMPH,” Arciga added.
As to the employee’s administrative or legal liability, Arciga said the department where the employee was assigned has already submitted reports and he will wait for the frontliner to report to work before rendering action.
Meanwhile, the husband of the lady frontliner that tested positive for Covid-19 denied fleeing his wife from the hospital.
GOOD CARE
Sangguniang Bayan member Jonathan Gallardo of Sapian, Capiz clarified that he had no intention to “evacuate” his wife who is a medical technologist of Mambusao District Hospital.
He said that all he wanted was to give proper care and attention to his wife by transferring her to a private hospital in Iloilo City.
Gallardo has noticed that medical frontliners in RMPH were already tired because of the high number of COVID-19 patients being confined and treated daily.
The councilor said he tried to talk with Arciga but he decided to leave and bring his wife home after 30 minutes of waiting for the hospital chief to meet him.
Gallardo assured and guaranteed his constituents and neighbors in Sapian town that the virus will not spread because since their arrival from the hospital, they never go out from their house and all the members of the family stayed inside.
He thanked some of their friends that brought food items to their house and their nurse-daughter in the United States of America who taught them how to manage her mother’s condition.
If his wife still has the virus in the next swab test, Gallardo said they will prolong their stay in their house.
