I’m staggered by the justifications of Health Acting Secretary Janet Garin and Armed Forces Chief Gregorio Pio Catapang,Jr.of their visit to the quarantined peacekeepers in Caballo Island in Cavite which Malacañang approves.
Garin and Catapang have drawn flak for what many see as violation of the idea of quarantine.
The peacekeepers from Ebola-stricken Liberia are on 21-day quarantine, an international procedure to prevent the deadly virus from spreading.
More than 5,000 have died from Ebola which is raging in West African countries notably Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. Several cases of the disease manifesting after persons, mostly health workers ,from West Africa have returned to their countries like the United States.
Garin and Catapang went to Caballo Island Sunday (Nov. 16), with a photographer, not wearing Personal Protective Equipment.
Anthony Leachon, president of the Philippine College of Physicians said, ““It was a breach of protocol — quarantine is an enforced isolation during the 21-day incubation period” of the virus.”
Leachon said the visit of the two officials in Caballo Island “sends a wrong signal” as the DOH and medical and health organizations embark on an intensive information campaign on precautionary measures to prevent the spread of Ebola, in case it comes to the country.
Garin said she went there to make sure that the peacekeepers were provided with proper facilities and medical treatment while on quarantine.
She is that hands-on?
A good executive would be able to accomplish that objective without personally going there. In this age of mobile phones, a personal visit to the island is unnecessary.
But of course, if she didn’t go there, she and Catapang would not be in the news.They need to be in the news as preparation for their 2016 election agenda.
As to their non-use of the PEE, Garin said it was not necessary since none of the peacekeepers was showing symptoms of Ebola.
But Ebola’s incubation period is 21 days, thus the quarantine requirement.
In the case of Thomas Eric Duncan, a taxi driver in Liberia who helped carry an Ebola victim, Marthalene Williams, to the hospital on Sept. 15, he developed fever only nine days after when he was already in the United States.
Garin said PPEs are expensive and limited in supply. “We are saving the PPE as the need arises. It is better that we have the PPE available when we already need them.”
Then, why did she and Catapang have to go to Caballo island? The soldiers, trained for adverse situations, would not have minded at all even if they didn’t come.
Of course, again, there’s the photo-op which those with higher political ambitions find hard to resist.
But the classic reason was that of Catapang,commander of the country’s 20,000 -strong armed forces. He said it was Garin’s idea to visit the peacekeepers and since the acting health secretary said it was okay, then it was okay.
There’s a word for what they are and what they did. It starts with “I”. The synonym starts with “S”. In tagalog, the word starts with “T.”
You need to wait out the incubation period of 21 days if you test positive; not if you test negative.
Pham was diagnosed on October 11, 2014. On October 16, she was put in isolation. She was cleared on October 24.
abcnews.go.com/Health/ebola-free-nurse-nina-pham-visits-president-obama/story?id=26406480
She got a hug from Obama, on October 24, only 13 days after her diagnosis. I believe the White House wanted to quiet down any incipient panic in the country.
There are reports stating that the Pinoy peacekeepers tested negative in a UN testing. So they really do not need the quarantine. That extra measure is only out of the abundance of caution. So Garin may have been trying to do an Obama, to tamp down any impending panic in the Pinoys.
rappler.com/nation/75184-pinoy-peacekeeper-require-complete-quarantinehttp://www.rappler.com/nation/75184-pinoy-peacekeeper-require-complete-quarantine
You may call it political theatrics or grandstanding. But I will cut the physician some slack here.
The Reign of the Idiots, bwahahahaha!
The peacekeepers had already their 21-day quarantine & observation in Monrovia, Liberia before they were sent back to Philippines.
I really don’t know the reason for a repeat quarantine. It’s not in the protocol.
I heard that the repeat quarantine was an order from Malacanang.
In short, they’re cleared from Ebola. That’s why Garin was confident they won’t get infected.
Since Duncan’s case there’s no more Ebola case in Dallas, Texas.
The repeat quarantine is quite exaggerated.
Nice title. I personally appreciate the ultra-high abundance of caution and the visit was downright scary for its lack of comprehension of the severity of the disease. This is not the flu.
Why even quarantine? I do not see any reason for these two officials to be “hands on” to check on those quarantined. Health officials pa naman ! Gee talk about plain “common sense” lang sana. Now, those who are coming from all these infected areas will just say, “I do not have the symptoms so I can go ahead and mingle with everyone, after all, the two supposedly high ranking health officials think it is perfectly okay to mingle with anyone as long the symptoms are not there”. These two health officials should be quarantined as well!
The repeat quarantine is an additional safety valve to counter the country lack of resources in case Ebola enters the country. Garin said so herself that there are not enough protective suit and must be only worn in real imminent cases. That earablished protocol was violated by the official that should be the Role model of following the rules. And it is not stranger in just about all other similar cases.
There’s this advisory from WHO that PPE suits have become unavailable with the rich countries lapping up more suits than they need. The shortage is expected to last until the whole of West Africa is declared Ebola-free.
a/e
Follow-up on Garin’s ‘Breach of Quarantine Protocol’
Let’s put things in proper perspective with fifteen (15) bullet points:
1. DOH quarantined the peacekeepers to play it safe because:
2. The other purpose of the quarantine is:
b/e
3. WHO didn’t advise the quarantine:
(Note: I believe “Isolation” is the right recommendation “for people who show symptoms.”)
4. The peacekeepers already underwent “exit screening” in Liberia:
“Current exit screening of all persons departing affected countries through international airports, seaports and major land crossings is recommended by WHO,” the statement added.
Garin earlier said the Philippines imposed the additional precautionary measure to “play safe.”
(Same link as Item no. 3)
5. In short, the “island” quarantine of the peacekeepers is a COUNTRY-SPECIFIC government policy even Malacañang is aware of or most likely ordered…after expert consultations and careful consideration of the Philippine situation as an “Ebola virus-free” country.
c/e
6. Now, this country-specific decision to quarantine the peacekeepers, I believe, must now be governed by the Quarantine Act of 2004.
7. However, R.A. No. 9271 or the Quarantine Act of 2004 didn’t envision the Ebola virus.
8. Thus, lacking specific guidelines, the generalities of the Quarantine Act of 2004 must be the governing guidelines in carrying out the peacekeepers’ quarantine:
d/e
9. Definition of “quarantine” in the IRR for the Quarantine Act of 2004:
10. The “WHO International Health Regulations” is suppletory to the IRR of the Quarantine Act of 2004:
11. The International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Ebola respects the basic right to travel and transport goods:
e/e
12. The Philippine government imposed something that is not recommended by the WHO. It may be a contentious issue but, I may say, it’s against the law. It was quite a strict measure to restrict movements and interactions of people and separate them from their families.
13. Yet those who imposed such a stringent policy did not even actually submit themselves to the restrictions they themselves implemented when they—not trained Quarantine Medical Officers—freely interacted with the peacekeepers. It was contrary to the exact purpose of a quarantine as defined by the IRR of the law. Were they really playing safe for the sake of the general population?
14. It was setting an example on the soldiers in order for OFWs from Ebola-affected countries to follow suit when they return here in the Philippines. Will the government be able to restrict the travel rights of the OFWs considering they already underwent Exit Screening abroad? When its their time, will families of the quarantined OFWs be allowed to visit them—in trickles perhaps—just like what Garin et al did?
15. What I observed were (1) International Health Regulations on Ebola was not followed by the Philippine government, and (2) the self-imposed—country-specific—quarantine protocol for the peacekeepers was violated when people other than a trained Quarantine Medical Officer visited and interacted with the men and women in uniform.
“Close contact” with peacekeepers:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/files/2014/11/15-carballo-landing2.jpg
Another “close contact” picture here:
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/photo/72703/pinoy-un-peacekeepers-start-21-day-quarantine-on-caballo-island
The “thumbs up” picture in the blog post is an example of a “feeling close” contact with the peacekeepers.
Here is another “feeling close” contact with the quarantined men in uniform…
http://dzmm.abs-cbnnews.com/uploads/news2/2ddf61febb5ca292e2da638ac260b10e/2ddf61febb5ca292e2da638ac260b10e.jpg
Kailangan I-quarantine o kaya i-isolate si Guarin at Catapang. They could be spreading the virus right now.
Need na permanenteng i-quarantine si Guarin at Catapang for spreading the “T” disease. 🙂
Chi, baka Ebola may pagasang magamot. Yung “t” mahirap gamutin yan
iisa lang naman ang hangarin ng mga “T” na ito eh.
Mag pasikat at mag pa kuha ng pictures para bida sila.
Kaso nga lang ay mga “T” sila.
Tanga talaga ang tanga
you all called the acts of garin and catapang as katangahan which you thick cannot be cured. but NO, you are all mistaken. there is a CURE in that ailment. and duration of treatment, too. HINDI pa nga lamang naiimbento ang gamot at lalong hindi pa batid KUNG gaano katagal ang gamutan AT lalo’t higit AY kung meron pang pag-asa ang tamaan ng sakit na ‘yan ay GAGALING. wala pa din doktor na nakatapos ng kurso tungkol diyan dahil walang magkainteres kumuha sapagkat hindi nakakatuwa ‘yung tatawagin silang DOKTOR ng katangahan.
“you all called the acts of garin and catapang as katangahan which you THINK cannot be cured……..”
hindi katangahan ang ipinakita nina garin at catapang KUNDI kayabangan na siyang trademark ng penoy circle na kanilang napupulot mula sa mayabang na presidenteng natutunan ang ganyang uri ng asal mula sa kanyang cheatser.
mantakin ninyong tila wala silang gustong gawin kundi ipakita sa buong madlang pipol na kapag sila ang may utos ay dapat lahat susunod SUBALIT ang kautusang gusto nilang sundin natin ay SILA din ang babaluktot at wala tayong katwiran upang sila ay punahin at sabihing mali ang kanilang ginagawa?
bakit patuloy tayong ginagawang tanga ng mga taga administrasyong ito na walang ipinagkaiba sa pinalitan nilang arroyo administration?
dahil ba tanggap natin ang anumang kanilang gawin?
JUAN, GIIIIIIIISIIIIIINNGGG!