MANILA (UCAN): “The photos we saw were heartbreaking and painful to see,” said an angry letter to the head of the Philippine Health Department, Francisco Duque, as images circulated online of patients lying on the ground outside the National Kidney and Transplant Institute due to the shortage of hospital beds in Manila due to a surge in Covid-19 cases.
The letter, written by Crispin Reyes and other parishioners from Saint Peter’s Shrine in Quezon City, called for the health department to ensure proper and humanitarian treatment for the sick.
“We see the pitiful condition of our Filipino brothers and sisters who are sick. They sleep in the open while receiving treatment. Some are even in wheelchairs. This is too much,” the letter went on to say.
“We are already full to capacity. We saw the pictures too and investigated. Relatives kept on insisting that they lie down. All patients are provided wheelchairs and stretchers,” hospital manager, Michael Jaro, explained. Relatives said the patients were in pain and discomfort, so they begged to lie down.
“We improvised by looking for cartons. We had no choice. There are no hospital beds and we were not sure when any would become available. My brother was in pain, so he asked me if he could lie on the ground,” said one relative who wished to remain anonymous.
Jaro said the hospital was struggling to cope with the Covid-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and asked for understanding.
“We are doing our best as healthcare workers but even our efforts are limited by our facilities. We cannot accommodate patients if we do not have enough room and hospital beds,” Jaro added.
On April 18, a field hospital set up at the Ateneo de Manila University started accepting Covid-19 patients to “hopefully ease” the hospital bed shortage in Manila (Sunday Examiner, April 18).
“The facility is intended to help control the spread of the virus among other family members of Covid-19 positive patients,” Ateneo president and Jesuit Father Bobby Yap said on April 18.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
Reyes and his group urged other Catholic schools in Manila to turn their campuses into Covid-19 field hospitals like the one at Ateneo.
As of April 22, the Philippines had recorded 971,049 Covid-19 cases with 16,370 deaths.
