Cebu City among top 3 LGUs with most COVID-19 deaths

CEBU, Philippines — Lapu-Lapu City has denied that the city’s Hoops Dome where asymptomatic COVID-19 patients are housed does not have a medical staff.

Mayor Junard Chan made the statement after a patient died at the facility on March 19, 2021 and after allegations surfaced that no medical personnel responded promptly to the patient when he collapsed.

The incident also prompted the patient’s family to call on the Lapu-Lapu City government to reevaluate its management of the Hoops Dome and to give patients a chance to choose their isolation facility.

“Dili na tinuod nga walay medical staff ang atong isolation facility sa Hoops Dome. Naay duha ka nurses nga na-assign didto,” Chan told The Freeman Sunday.

“Kadtong adlawa, mo-graduate na unta to siya unya requirement man sa mga mo-abroad nga negative gyud sila sa RT-PCR test, mao to, while waiting, nikalit lang siya nga ni-collapse and based sa record kay cardiac arrest iyang namatyan,” Chan said.

The patient was identified as Ramon Castro, 36, a resident of Toledo City. He was isolated in Lapu-Lapu because he and his wife, Jojean, were staying at a hotel there while they waited for the result of Castro’s first swab test.

Castro was complying with requirements for his return to Saudi Arabia where he worked as an OFW.

When he tested positive for COVID-19 on March 11, Lapu-Lapu personnel extracted him from the hotel and moved him to the Hoops Dome.

Chan said Castro did not declare any heart-related illness and his daily vital signs were normal.

“Based sa iyang record sa facility, normal ra man ang iyang daily vital signs sama sa blood pressure ug oxymeter level. In fact, pag-abot niya sa facility, normal ra siya, walay problema sa breathing,” the mayor said.

Chan said it is standard procedure in Lapu-Lapu that asymptomatic patients are isolated at the Hoops Dome.

 Jojean told The Freeman that she actually requested that Castro be allowed to isolate at the hotel, or any hotel for that matter, but her request was denied.

“Niana ko, okay ra’g diri na lang ning akong bana sir… tutal, ako man ning bana, okay ra ko’g ma-positive ko pero ila gyung gikuha,” Jojean said.

Jojean tested negative for the disease.

In a separate interview, Castro’s sister, Naomie, who is based in the United States, told The Freeman they want to know what happened exactly, considering that his brother did not have a history of any heart condition.

“We need explanations why they didn’t allow my brother to stay in the hotel for quarantine since their facility isn’t safe for all those people,” she said.

Chan said the hotel where the couple was staying is not a designated COVID-19 quarantine or isolation facility.

“Mao to kay naa man siya sa atong siyudad, standard gyud nga ang mag positive unya labi na asymptomatic, adto na nato ibutang sa atong isolation facility aron dili na makatakod og lain,” he said.

Better management,  choices

The Hoops Dome, a sports facility, had its wooden basketball court “boxed” after it was converted into an isolation facility for COVID-19. For now, the city has implemented a one entrance and one exit policy to ensure security.

Unlike other isolation facilities, there are no partitions that separate patients and foam mattresses are set on the floor there. Patients are provided with electric fans.

Closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras monitor the situation on the floor.

In a video that circulated, other patients tried to help Castro while waiting for medical personnel to arrive after Castro collapsed. Someone was even giving instructions over the phone on how a Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be administered. At one point in time, the patients decided to break the glass door near the stage to take Castro out.

“Wala silay nabuhat... kinsa may nagtabang ato niya nga puro man to COVID patients,” Jojean said.

When the ambulance came, medical staff tried to revive Castro but to no avail.

Jojean said they declined Chan’s offer for burial assistance as there reportedly was no assurance where her husband would be buried. The family laid Castro to rest in Toledo City.

She said they are not keen on filing legal charges as they do not want added burden and pain but she and Naomie said they hope the incident will be a lesson to LGUs to re-evaluate the kind of service they provide and even the choices they afford to COVID-19 patients.

Catro returned home in February to check on the progress of the construction of his family’s house and to visit his 76-year-old mother in Toledo City. — Caecent Noot-Magsumbol, JMO  (FREEMAN)