COVID 19. Quarantine. Morgue. Overflow.
Nagsalita na rin ang Quirino Memorial Medical Center at Lung Center of the Philippines sa isyu ng mga bangkay na nagtatagal sa morge ng dalawang ospital sa halip na macremate na agad ang mga patay para hindi makapanghawa ng mga tao. Nauna nang naisiwalat ang katulad na problema sa East Avenue Medical Center kung saan tinambak sa pasilyo ang mga patay. Lima lang ang kapasidad ng morge ng EAMC habang umabot ng 20 ang mga bangkay na hindi kinuha ng mga kamaganak ng mga namatay. Sa Quirino, 6 lang ang kakayanan ng morge nila. Labingisa naman ang pinamarami nilang patay kaya sa mga stretcher na lang nilagay yung 5. Sa Lung Center of the Philippines, 12 ang patay habang 4 lang ang lugar sa morge.
Nabangit din ng Quirino na may isang bangkay daw sa kanila na 11 araw nang patay kaya nangangamoy na dahil naagnas na ang katawan.
April 13 – 4932 total cases, 284 new cases for today, 315 total deaths with 242 recovered patients.
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Philippines: Hospitals must cremate Covid-19 victims in 12 hours, death toll now at 297
An inter-agency task force on the fight against Covid-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, imposed the 12-hour rule for cremation as part of the protocol for handling deceased patients amid the outbreak.
“We must stick to the 12-hour rule when it comes to cremation,” government official Karlo Nograles said.
The East Avenue Medical Center, one of the major hospitals handling Covid-19 patients in Manila, disclosed that its morgue did not have sufficient equipment, such as freezers, to store additional bodies.
The Philippines confirmed on Sunday 220 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number in the country to 4,648.
The Department of Health (DOH) also reported 50 more Covid-19 deaths, bringing the death toll to 297. The deaths include previously unreported cases and backlogs, the DOH said.
The DOH further said that 40 new patients have recovered, bringing the total of recoveries to 197.
The Department of Labour and Employment said that over 1 million workers have been affected by the extended lockdown imposed by the government since March 15 to curb the spread of the virus. The lockdown runs until April 30.
Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello those who worked in the formal sector were either affected by temporary closures or flexible work arrangements.
Meanwhile, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said the government is to mobilize 1.17 trillion pesos-worth (US$23.19bil) of fiscal and monetary measures to date to help defeat the viral disease and provide relief to the poor and other sectors reeling from this pandemic’s economic hit. – dpa/Asian News Network
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