Sulu appeals for Covid medical equipment following 3 deaths

SULU – Governor Sakur Tan has repeatedly appealed for medical equipment needed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, or Covid-19, following the death of three persons suspected of contracting the disease.

Tan, who heads the provincial Task Force on Covid-19, said Sulu, one of 5 provinces under the Muslim autonomous region, is yet to avail of the Covid testing kits. “The public can understand the Provincial Government's limited medical capabilities, but we can sense their restlessness and queries are abound on why the delay of much needed equipment and kits,” he said.

He said a 20-year old man from the Jolo town was rushed to the hospital on April 8, but died 3 hours later from cardiac arrest. Another 27-year old man from the town of Indanan was also admitted to hospital on April 3, but he too died 2 days later. The third casualty was reported April 12.

“Both cases exhibited Severe Acute Respiratory illness thru chest CT scan with findings of bacterial pneumonia, and Covid-19 pneumonia cannot be discounted. Both had no history of travel, however exposure status cannot be ascertained. They were treated in isolation wards, and hospital staff who were in attendance are now still in quarantine at the hospital dormitory,” Tan said, referring to the first 2 patients.

He said following the rules governing a pandemic and even without the assurance of test results, the patients were immediately buried. “Immediate burials were done sans traditions and religious rituals. Without the test kits and other medical paraphernalia, Sulu's reactions to the pandemic are focused primarily on prevention,” he said.

Tan said he placed the whole of Sulu under a two-week general community quarantine on April 4 to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. “We have implemented a 14-day general community quarantine effective April 4, and thus far it is holding well. To cushion the inconveniences caused to the public, relief assistance were distributed in all municipalities,” he said.

Chief of Hospital-Integrated Provincial Health Office Dr Fahra Omar receives from the Sulu Task Force Covid-19 Emergency Operations Center the donated personal protective equipment and face masks from the Sulu Provincial Government. 

The provincial government also released additional 5,000 bags of 50-kilo or over 250 tons of rice to different towns to help feed the villagers. The following towns received their share: Jolo - 800 sacks, Patikul - 300, Panglima Tahil - 300 sacks, Pangutaran - 300 sacks, Talipao - 300 sacks, Parang - 300 sacks, Pata - 300 sacks, Siasi - 300 sacks, Pandami - 300 sacks, Tapul - 300 sacks, Lugus - 300 sacks, Panamao - 300 sacks, Omar - 300 sacks, Kalinggalang Caluang - 300 sacks, Indanan - 100 sacks, Patikul - 200 sacks, Luuk - 50 sacks.

Residents from Sulu’s 19 towns have received a bag of rice and grocery items from the local governments. Tan ordered more food packs, medicines and vitamins to indigent families and distribution of personal protective equipment to medical and social workers, and other frontliners to protect them from the respiratory virus. 

Since President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the enhanced community quarantine in March, the regional government headed by Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim only allotted a total of ₱155 million to the local governments to intensify their efforts in containing the spread of the virus in the Muslim region with nearly 4 million population.

Each of the provinces - Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi - received only ₱5 million. Its three cities - Cotabato, Marawi and Lamitan – received ₱2 million each. And 116 municipalities got only ₱1 million each, and the 63 villages in North Cotabato receive a total of ₱8 million. 

The money was part of the contingency fund of the Muslim autonomous region to augment the local quick response fund of the local governments. (Zamboanga Post)

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