By Helen Castano, J. Jala | 09:16 PM July 22, 2020
It only took a “lie” to close a hospital and the community exposed to a possible coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
The management of Tagbilaran Maternity and Children’s Hospital (TMCH) decided to temporarily closed the hospital after the five-year-old younger brother of the 13-year-old boy positive Covid-19 patient was shortly admitted at the hospital.
In an advisory, Dr. Franz Lester Balagonsa, MD, OIC- medical director of TMCH, said that the hospital will remain closed pending the test results of the patient.
TMCH said that at 3 a. m. on July 19, a five-year- old boy who was accompanied by his mother was brought to the hospital for confinement with chief complaints of fever and vomitting.
Before the child was admitted, they were interviewed by the nurse following the Department of Health questionnaire pertaining to possible COVID-19 exposure.
The mother claimed they did not come in contact with someone who is currently a suspected case, positive COVID-19 case or someone who has a recent travel history.
Upon completion of the triage process, they were then brought to the Emergency Room for admission with the initial impression with dengue fever with warning signs.
They were roomed-in with another patient who had the same impression.
At around 4:39 a. m. on the same day, the hospital received a call from the Tagbilaran Health Office that the five-year old patient was the younger brother of the 13-year old positive COVID-19 patient.
The mother did not disclose that they were under home monitoring after her 13-year-old son tested positive of Covid-19. He was tested as part of contact tracing efforts after his cousin, an Overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who arrived in Barangay Dampas, Tagbilaran and already went back to Manila earlier tested positive for the virus.
Since TMCH is not a Covid-19 referral hospital, they coordinated with Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital for transfer care for the patient.
The next morning, July 20, the hospital was disinfected and at least 16 employees were placed on quarantine.
Those employees who had direct contact with the boy went home without knowing that the child is suspected case of Covid-19. Their respective local government units were informed and they are now placed on quarantine.
The hospital encouraged the public to always have proper disclosure upon interview during the triaging process in order to prevent such incident from happening.
Bohol province has 71 cases with 23 actives case, 44 recoveries and 3 deaths.
