MOH-BARMM to probe COVID-19 “local transmission” in Maguindanao
HEALTH • 21:15 PM Mon Jun 1, 2020
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By:
FERDINANDH B. CABRERA
BARMM Health chief Dr. Safrullah Dipatuan
COTABATO CITY – Health authorities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Regioon in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has ordered an investigation why a student who arrived from Cebu City managed to go home, tested positive of the virus and eventually infected her three siblings.
“The student should be quarantined, he should be isolated upon arrival, but he was allowed to return home,” BARMM Health chief Dr. Safrullah Dipatuan said, hinting it was a case of local transmission.
Three of the student’s siblings, aged 13, 14 and 18, have tested positive of COVID-19.
Sixteen students studying in Cebu were fetched by the provincial government under its “Balik Probinsya” program from Cagayan de Oro (CDO) City. They travelled by boat from Cebu to CDO.
Upon arrival, all of them were subjected to rapid test while on a 14-day quarantine at the isolation center at the back of Maguindanao Provincial Hospital in Datu Hofer town.
Three days later, his parents requested that he be allowed to go home with the promise he will continue home quarantine.
Dr. Elizabeth Samama, Maguindanao health chief, the boy’s mother, also a health worker, has requested that her son be allowed to return home to do the self-isolation. The boy’s home in Shariff Aguak, is near the provincial hospital.
One of the students had fever and symptoms of COVID-19 and later tested positive of the virus. So all the other 15 students were swabbed, including the male student who went home. He was sent back to the isolation center.
On May 22, the 11 students turned positive of the virus. On May 26, those people who had close encounter with the male student were subjected to swab test and three of his siblings tested positive on May 29.
“All were asymptomatic,” Samama said, adding that she was unaware one of the students was allowed to go home.
The mother promised health workers her son will self-isolate at home and to stay in one room for 14 days and not to interact with any relative or family members.
The boy’s mother is a worker of IPHO-Maguindanao while the father is a town councilor of Shariff Aguak.
All the 15 students, including the boy’s parents and relatives are inside the isolation center.
Samama was optimistic all of them will hurdle the disease. (FC)