Kusug Tausug lawmaker wants more hospitals after surviving Covid

Kusug Tausug Rep. Shernee Tambut

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Kusug Tausug partylist Rep. Shernee Tambut, who survived from the deadly Covid-19 respiratory disease, vowed to file bills increasing the number of primary and secondary hospitals throughout the country, making sure that several of these new hospitals will be built in island-towns where healthcare services are scarce. 

Tambut reflected on her ordeal following weeks of isolation after being tested positive for the disease in the middle of January. 

“Last week my doctor gave me a clean bill of health: I was finally free from the virus that has caused the most recent health scourge in the world. I got the mild form of Covid-19 which gave me fever and headaches and some coughing bouts. I self-quarantined at home, but although I knew mine was a mild case, there was always that lingering fear that I might not get well. Worse, no one was allowed to get near me to comfort me,” she wrote on her Facebook page. 

While recuperating in her room in Manila, Tambut said she was without any human contact, except for my “trusted” cell phone which allowed her to connect to her doctors, caregiver and members of her immediate family. 

“It occurred to me then how utterly lonely it must be for those who catch this dreaded virus and live in remote places with little or no access to health services. I believe many in the provinces have died of Covid-19 without even knowing that they had the disease because they had no access to health tests. And how frustrating and dangerous it must be for those who care for the sick who could not avail of RT-PCR or antigen tests,” she said. 

Remembering what she went through, Tambut said: “Mamang cried and wanted to come to Manila so she can take care of me when she found out that I have Covid. I told her not to come because she might get infected and she’s a senior citizen. Papang is also very worried especially because (my husband) John (who is an international pilot) is not around to take care of me (he has a flight in L.A.).” 

“Mommy and my sisters-in-law kept on texting and calling and checking if I’m okay. Auntie Fara also called to check on me. Thank you Achie (Laurice Tam) for sending these meds and for looking after me even from afar. Thank you to everyone who showed their concern. But don’t worry. I’m okay. I’ll be fine in a few days. Thank you for the love,” she added. 

Still recalling her sick days, Tambut said she checked the number of hospitals in the country online and “Google says as of 2019, there were around 1800 hospitals in the Philippines, and 721 of these are public hospitals.” 

Citing data from 2020, Tambut said the Department of Health operates 66 of these hospitals that have a total bed capacity of 27, 019. These DOH hospitals are distributed as: 38 in Luzon, 14 of which are in the National Capital Region; 12 in the Visayas; and 16 in Mindanao. Most of these hospitals, she said, are in the urban centers which are densely populated. 

“Our country is an archipelago of over seven thousand islands. A big number of island-towns in the Visayas and Mindanao have little access to basic health services and no access to specialized health services, except when the sick are brought to the provincial capital. To worsen matters, transport from these small island-towns to the provincial center is rare and often expensive.” 

“My mind goes back to Sulu with over 100 islands, where eight of its 19 municipalities are island-towns far from the provincial center of Jolo. How would it be for anyone living in any of these 8 towns to have symptoms of covid-19? Transport to Jolo takes several hours by speedboat or motorized banca, and from Jolo, if the patient shows severe symptoms, he must be rushed to Zamboanga City for specialized treatment. That is for the patient with some money. The poor could barely afford transport to Jolo,” Tambut further said. 

Although the Kusug Tausug partylist is active in providing food and financial assistance to poor people and marginalized sectors in the country, Tambut said: “If Allah’s Mercy will grant me another chance to be in Congress, I will file bills increasing the number of primary and secondary hospitals throughout the country, making sure that several of these new hospitals will be built in island-towns. In Shaa Allah!” 

Tambut also mentioned her consultant, whom she only identified as Libby, for working hard when the lawmaker was sick. “My workaholic but very brilliant consultant has been bombarding me with work-related messages for the past days and I have been ignoring her. Apparently she just found out that I have Covid and so she sent me fruits. Thank you for your thoughtfulness Ate Libby! I will reply to your messages when I feel better,” she wrote on her Facebook page. 

Tambut, who is seeking re-election, is the chairperson of the Globalization and WTO in the House of Representative, whose jurisdiction includes all matters directly and principally relating to the effects on various social sectors of World Trade Organization policies and other actions to harness opportunities offered by globalization for economic development. 

She is also the vice chairperson on the Committee on Poverty Alleviation and majority member of the committees on Economic Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Muslim Affairs, Trade and Industry, Transportation, and Women and Gender Equality. Tambut also authored and co-authored tens of dozens of bills since the 17^th Congress. (Mindanao Examiner)