Sin to priests: Prevent SARS mass hysteria

Archbishop of Manila Jaime Cardinal Sin called yesterday for prudence in dealing with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and asked Catholic priests to guide their flock on the proper action to take against the killer virus.

"I appeal to my brother priests to have a sober and level-headed approach to the situation and be wary of unscrupulous people who are ready to pounce on those who succumb to mass hysteria, for their own profit and gain," he said in a letter to parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila. "Overreaction to the SARS scare may cause mass hysteria and panic among the public."

Sin said unless scientists could find a cure for the killer pneumonia, an "atmosphere of ignorance" would remain among the various communities.

Sin sent the letter after priests in the Archdiocese of Manila were briefed on SARS by Dr. Vilma Co, an epidemiologist at the Makati Medical Center.

Meanwhile, SARS has caused the continued drop in the number of Filipino workers going abroad.

Labor and Employment Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas said the deployment of Filipino workers has declined by almost five percent following the SARS scare and the end of the US-Iraq war.

"Part of the decline in deployment would be due to SARS although there was also a slowdown in the Middle East following the US-led war against Iraq," she said.

But Sto. Tomas said the deployment of Filipino workers might start to pick up by middle of the year when the country is expected to take part in the reconstruction of Iraq.

"We expect a surge in deployment once rehabilitation of Iraq starts moving and that is likely to happen in June," she said.

Figures from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration show a daily average of 2,547 Filipinos leave for employment abroad.

The number was 4.9 percent lower than the daily average deployment of 2,677 during the same period a year ago.

Land-based workers accounted for the bulk in the decline in deployment.

In Congress, Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. urged the government yesterday to inspect hospitals, schools, parks, malls and factories following the Department of Health’s confirmation of seven more SARS cases in the country.

"Environmental and human health costs are rising due to the improper handling and disposal of household, hospital and industrial wastes," he said. "We should be more circumspect."

Villar said health officials should check the waste management of hospitals which have been handling and treating SARS patients. — Katherine Adraneda, Mayen Jaymalin, Jose Rodel Clapano