MANILA, Philippines — No less than Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on Wednesday reached out to The Medical City (TMC) in Ortigas, Pasig to seek clarification on a supposed memorandum circulating on social media, saying it would no longer receive patients under investigation for the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The memorandum, dated March 10, appeared to be an internal communication addressed to “all departments” of the hospital, and which directed its Emergency Room team to refer all COVID-19 patients and moderately symptomatic patients under investigation (PUIs) awaiting admission to other private or government hospitals because “TMC is already at full capacity.”
To check its veracity, INQUIRER.net showed a copy of the memorandum to TMC, but was told that the document was “unofficial.”
Apparently getting wind of the “rumors,” Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto said he personally went to the Ortigas-based hospital to talk to their officials.
Partially because of several rumors, I went to The Medical City Pasig to talk to their officials.
We are reassuring the public: TMC is NOT refusing patients. Even if they reach capacity, they will test and properly refer patients.
Hospital operations are continuing as normal. pic.twitter.com/W5UdwHxm35
— Vico Sotto (@VicoSotto) March 11, 2020
Sotto, in his Twitter account, said the hospital had denied reports that it is suspending the admission of patients checked for COVID-19.
“We are reassuring the public: TMC is NOT refusing patients. Even if they reach capacity, they will test and properly refer patients. Hospital operations are continuing as normal,” Sotto said in his tweet.
As of Tuesday, the country’s health department recorded 33 patients infected by the coronavirus disease. Of the number, seven are isolated at the TMC.
The Department of Health (DOH) has raised its alert level to Code Red Sub-Level 1 after reporting the first local transmission of the disease from the wife of a 62-year-old Filipino, who is the country’s first local case.
Under Code Red, all health care providers in both national and private health facilities are enjoined to prepare for an increased demand for medical services.
President Rodrigo Duterte likewise signed Proclamation no. 922 declaring a state of public health emergency due to the COVID-19 threat.
The coronavirus disease is caused by the novel coronavirus or the SARS-CoV-2 which was first detected in China’s city of Wuhan in Hubei province in late 2019. Coronavirus is a family of viruses, which surfaces have crown-like appearance.
A patient checked for the fatal disease are those with “continued presence of flu-like symptoms, direct interaction with or exposure to confirmed positive individuals and travel history to affected countries with confirmed local transmission for the past 14 days.” With a report from Daphne Galvez