MANILA, Philippines (Updated 9:02 p.m.) — The foremost group for medical practitioners in the Philippines added its voice to mounting criticism against Sen. Koko Pimentel, who has been found to have broken self-quarantine at least twice while waiting for the results of his COVID-19 test.
The public, particularly those who have potential symptoms of COVID-19, are supposed to stay at home while Luzon is in an enhanced community quarantine.
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In a statement issued on Thursday, the Philippine Medical Association, a member of the World Medical Association, said that Pimentel placed the lives of doctors and nurses at risk when he breached his quarantine.
The association also expressed solidarity with the members of the Makati Medical Center, whose management earlier slammed the senator for his "irresponsible and reckless action."
READ: S&R workers now also under quarantine because of Pimentel
Pimentel, in interviews on Wednesday, said that he was rarely in public while on self-quarantine, but he has been confirmed to have gone out anyway.
As a result, workers in both the Makati Medical Center and the S&R Membership Shopping Center branch at BGC have been placed under quarantine.
He is facing possible charges as a lawyer on Thursday announced that he is in the process of drafting a formal complaint against the lawmaker.
READ: Lawyer readies complaint vs Pimentel for breaching quarantine protocol
According to the PMA, by deciding to remain in Makati Medical Center despite receiving information that he was a carrier, the senator blatantly ignored the protocols of the hospital.
For the association, this obligation to comply weighed doubly on the senator because he is an elected public official.
"Knowing him as a person of his stature, he should have placed above all the well-being of the health workforce who are already working so hard to curb the problem," their statement read.
In their statement, the PMA extended their appeal to other public officials, whom they asked not to be "treated as VIPs" after it was reported that a number of senators who were not symptomatic had themselves tested for the new pathogen earlier this week despite health department guidelines stating that only those with symptoms may be tested.
Pimentel has admitted to having flu-like symptoms.
The doctors' association also called attention to the diminishing number of health workers and resources in the fight against COVID-19.
READ: Groups call for COVID-19 testing, better support and pay for health workers
"Publicly known is the already dwindling number of frontline doctors and nurses and we could not afford more of this to happen," they said.
"The PMA thus calls upon our government officials to please refrain from being treated as VIP's and better, please follow protocols as we are all in this fight together."
Makati Medical Center in a statement on Thursday thanked the public for its support to the hospital and its healthcare professionals in denouncing Pimentel's breach of quarantine protocols.
It also thanked the Philippine Medical Association and the Philippine College of Physicians for their support and said that it is pleased that Health Secretary Franciso Duque III concurred that Pimentel's visit to the hospital while waiting for the results of his COVID-19 test was a breach of protocol."
The hospital also said that it takes note of Pimentel's apology for the breach.
MMC medical director and interim co-CEO Saturnino Javier, MD urged the hospital community to move forward and "focus our energis, skills and passion once again toward conquering the virulent pathogen confronting us—COVID 19." — Franco Luna