LEGAZPI CITY –– The provincial government of Sorsogon urged residents seeking medical treatment to be honest in giving information to health authorities attending to them amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) ravaging the country.
Sorsogon Gov. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, signed the “Patient’s Dishonesty Ordinance,” penalizing patients who lie or give untruthful declaration in medical consultations and confinement in all private and public clinic, hospitals in the province.
Dong Mendoza, spokesperson at the office of the governor, said the ordinance was crafted to prevent people from being dishonest or untruthful in issuing records and documents about their health.
Mendoza, in an interview, said the ordinance was crafted in line with Republic Act No. 11332, which provides that it would be a crime to conceal data or intentionally provide wrong information to health workers in times of Public Health Emergency.
Violators would face a jail term of one year and a fine ranging from P1,000 to P5,000.