Quezon hospital slams harassment of health workers after shooting of ambulance driver

LUCENA CITY –– The management of a private hospital in Candelaria town in Quezon province strongly condemned the harassment and discrimination against health workers after its ambulance driver was shot and wounded on Tuesday night.

“Our frontliners are one of the few obstacles to the spread and fatalities of COVID-19. It is not enough to thank them. We need to protect them,” the Peter Paul Medical Center of Candelaria Inc. (PPMCCI) said in a statement posted on its Facebook Thursday.

Candelaria police reported that Sofronio Ramilo, 52, parked the hospital ambulance that he was driving inside the Maliwanag Subdivision in Barangay Malabanban Norte at 9:10 p.m.

A subdivision resident, Ramil Alcantara, reportedly castigated Ramilo for parking the vehicle at the said place.

Police said at the height of the argument between the two, Alcantara reportedly “got irked, drew his firearm, and fired it on the ground.”

The report said the victim sustained a minor injury in his right index finger from the debris caused by the ricocheting bullet.

He was brought to the PPMCCI for treatment.

The suspect was subsequently arrested and detained at the police jail.

Quoting information from the wounded driver, the PPMCCI claimed that Alcantara was insisting that the ambulance not be allowed to enter the subdivision.

“According to him (Alcantara), the vehicle allegedly transports infected patients that might compromise their health,” the PPMCI said.

But despite the explanation by the ambulance driver that the vehicle was mainly being used to transport hospital personnel, including frontliners in and out of the hospital, “the suspect pointed a gun and shot the hand of our frontliner, injuring one of his fingers resulting in possible disarticulation.”

“The hand is instrumental in the safe and swift transport of PPMCCI health workers and patients in the community,” the hospital management stressed.

Ramilo is the breadwinner in the family.

The PMMCCI has appealed to the public “to extend their rational understanding to our health workers.”

“They have responded (to) our country’s needs with dedication, bravery, and selflessness,” the hospital management said.

Edited by LZB