‘ILL-PREPARED’: What’s bugging Antique’s COVID-19 response?

By Jennifer P. Rendon

 

As health experts around the world said, “preparedness always pays off,” be it in a battle against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or other plagues or diseases for that matter.

And just how prepared is the province of Antique and the local government units in dealing with COVID-19?

Sources in the province and even medical professionals lamented the lax attitude of local governments amid rising cases in the past two weeks.

Information reaching Daily Guardian indicated the lack, or absence, of contract tracing efforts.

“Even if you’re a close contact of a COVID positive individual, you won’t be tested unless you manifest symptoms. I think that’s one of the reasons why there is a sudden spike of cases in the province,” a source said. “You only get swabbed if you display symptoms,”

The same source noted there could be a few deaths due to COVID-19 that was not logged or reported because the fatalities were not tested.

“I don’t know. Maybe they want to maintain a certain record,” the source added.

And some persons who manifest COVID-19 symptoms were forced to undergo home quarantine as there was no proper isolation facilities in place.

While other cities and provinces of Western Visayas had been reeling from the surge in COVID-19 cases, Antique province has maintained a somehow “clean” record. It recorded nil to minimal cases since last year until March 25, 2021.

Based on the bulletin released by the Department of Health-Center for Health Development 6 on the said day, Antique recorded 12 cases. It was already a “lot” for a province that used to enjoy zero cases for several months.

From March 26 – March 28, there was no case recorded again. But on March 29, the province logged 16 cases and 10 on March 31. On April 1, no case was recorded but had 14 cases on April 2.

From April 3 – April 5, the province again recorded zero cases. But on April 6, it recorded 49, the highest in the region, alongside Negros Occidental province.

On April 7, it recorded 50 of the 264 cases in the region and 27 on April 8

But even before the dramatic leap in cases, the Antique Medical Society (AMS) sent a letter to Governor Rhodora Cadiao dated March 31, 2021.

Colonel Roy Parena, the provincial Inter-Agency Task Force chair; Vice Governor Edgar Denosta; Mayor Mary Te, president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Antique province; Dr. Ric Naciongayo, Antique Provincial Health Office head, and Dr. Feman Autajay, DOH-6 representative were furnished copies of the letter.

The signatories said they are writing their statement and opinions “with the best intention to better serve Antiqueños. We have no political nor personal intentions, but rather we collectively share our opinions as healthcare professionals.”

They then made the following recommendations:

– Transparency and accurate reporting of all Covid cases in the province, reflecting the true number of cases in a real time update.

Through this, AMS said that Antiqueños could make sound decisions for themselves in terms of mobility, behavior and cooperation, hence improved and empowered Antiqueños resulting in lesser chances of vital spread.

– To date, after one year in the pandemic, we are the only province in Western Visayas that has no RT-PCR facility. The structure is there, but still not operational.

Given how other provinces fast-tracked their facilities, the Antique Medical Society deemed that the province lagged behind in such an important pursuit.

As such, “screening and identification of cases are still delayed. To cope with this, our municipal health doctors suggest daily delivery of specimen to Iloilo for testing.”

They also suggested the provision of transportation and personnel tasked to bring the specimen to Iloilo.

-The use of guideline/protocol-base: swab antigen testing for screening of patients for operations, admissions, and other medical/surgical indications, as the yield is higher than rapid antibody testing.

The group suggested that this be made available in all government hospitals and quarantine facilities as the need for its use arises.

-That all municipalities prepare and pursue accreditation for Ligtas Covid Center/Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMF). These will cater patients with mild cases, PUI, and PUMs, so as not to rapidly deplete the hospital resources and overwhelm the hospitals and quarantine facilities and the existing healthcare workforce.

They also encourage district hospitals and quarantine facilities to implement proper triaging.

They noted that the Iloilo counterpart is mostly full and might not be able to accommodate patients from Antique at all times.

“Hence, we need to strengthen our adherence to protocols, improve our facilities, equip our facilities with manpower, supplies and medications; this then leads us to procurement of anti-virals, low molecular weight heparin and all other necessary medications as part of our readiness to manage severe cases in the worst-case scenarios.”

Meanwhile, the Antique Medical Society has asked the public to temporarily limit the inter municipality and inter-Barangay movement, for a week or two to halt the spread of the virus.

They also suggested the closing or limiting of non-essential services like bars and cockpits, tightening curfews and community monitoring by the peace and order sector.

“We emphasize on imposition of proper registration/logging of in and out of guests/clients in all facilities in order to execute contact tracing, as the need arises.”

They also recommended that those who logged should make their writing legible and provide complete information, so that contact tracing could be facilitated better and faster.

The group also encouraged eligible persons to get vaccinated.

They also emphasized collaboration of private sector with DOH and Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital in order to tackle the issue or lack of hospital beds to cater the now growing COVID-19 cases.

The group also stressed that quarantine strategies and lockdown will fail if “we as individuals fail to practice proper social distancing, proper hand washing, wearing of face masks and face shields; fail to be honest and report on our whereabouts and activities and symptoms if there are any; and fail to submit ourselves to follow authorities, guidelines, and protocols encompassing all circumstance.”

In conclusion, they cited the 1987 Constitution stressing on that “all laws and administrative orders should all defer to Salus Populi Est Suprema Lex (The health and the welfare of the Filipino people are the supreme law).

“Our current situation now is a threat to every Antiqueño’s safety and welfare, hence balancing economics and health needs political will and people power unified.”

The letters were signed by Dr. Christine Train-Bilbao, AMC president; Dr. Anna Marie Eugenia Bravo-Melgar, Vice President; Dr. Dorcas Sta. Romana, secretary; Dr. Elaine Venegas, assistant secretary; Dr. Lilluck Alacapa, treasurer; Mary Rosalie Almirante, assistant treasurer; Dr. Honesto Magno Magdaug III, auditor; and Dr. John Joseph Dongon, public relations officer.