Makati Medical Center (MMC) issued a statement denouncing the “irresponsible and reckless action” of COVID-19 positive senator Koko Pimentel, Wednesday.
“We denounce the irresponsible and reckless action of the senator. He added burden of a hospital trying to respond in its most competent and aggressive manner to cope with the daunting challenges of this CoVID-19 outbreak,” Dr. Saturnino Javier, MMC Interim Co-CEO said in a statement posted in its Facebook account
He told Senator Koko Pimentel breached the MMC-Delivery Complex’s strict infection and containment protocols last night, March 24.
Javier said the senator, “whose result for CoVID-19 testing turned out to be positive, brought his wife to the hospital for delivery via cesarean section.”
“By being in MMC, Senator Pimentel violated his Home Quarantine Protocol, entered the premises of the MM-DR, thus unduly exposed healthcare workers to possible infection. As a result, a number of our nurses and doctors may need to be quarantined which will further deplete the dwindling workforce of the hospital. The entire Delivery Room Complex will have to undergo decontamination and disinfection before it can be used,” he added.
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Makati Medical denounces ‘irresponsible and reckless action’ of COVID-positive Pimentel
“Mr. Pimentel, should have realized the ardent desire of every well-meaning Filipino and every dedicated healthcare institution to contain the spread of the infection,” the statement said.
MMC also called the senator’s “admonition for everyone to observe social distancing, enhanced community quarantine measures, washing of hands and personal hygiene nothing but empty rhetoric because himself violated all those.”
Conversations between MMC staff surfaced online, saying the senator allegedly knew he was COVID-19 positive but kept it secret.
However, Pimentel earlier said he was already at the hospital when he found out that he tested positive of the virus.
“Yes (I was with Kath yesterday as she was scheduled to give birth this morning. I received the call from RITM when I was already in the hospital last night, hence left immediately,” he said.
Pimentel’s co-senators also received criticisms after RITM staff revealed asymptomatic government officials, and their family got VIP testing, delaying the results of symptomatic PUIs with some even died waiting.
As of 4:00 pm today, March 25, the Philippines has 636 confirmed of pandemic coronavirus, with 38 fatalities and 26 recoveries.