Cordi front line Covid survivor to get P100-K

AM I QUALIFIED? Joel Junsay asks as he tries to process his papers to qualify for the P100,000 the national government could give to medical health care workers who recovered from the coronavirus disease (Covdi-19). Junsay was also the first Baguio case to come out in the open to facilitate contact tracing. (PNA photo by Pigeon Lobien)

By Pigeon Lobien and Liza Agoot  

BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Health in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DOH-CAR) on Tuesday said only one of the 20 medical health care front line workers who was afflicted with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is eligible to the P100,000 financial assistance of the government.

“There is only one who qualifies. When I called the infectious disease center at the BGH (Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center), mild cases sila (they have mild cases),” said Dr. Amelita Pangilinan, DOH-CAR regional director in a press conference.

She said the beneficiary was already able to get the PHP100,000 last Saturday.

The beneficiary, who has a heart problem was classified as a “critical case” because his illnesses were aggravated while he was suffering from Covid-19, which made the person eligible for the assistance of the government.

“This is a continuing benefit,” Pangilinan said.

 “I just hope that I will be given that amount as promised under the Bayanihan Act,” City Health Service Office employee Joel Junsay told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Monday.

Junsay is processing his documents, the hospital records of his 18-days stay at the Baguio General Hospital Medical Center (BGHMC) where he was confined from March 26 until April 13.

He shared that while in the hospital, he experienced the worse time of his life and almost intubated - a process where a tube is inserted into the person, especially at the trachea for ventilation.

After discharge, he took another 14-days quarantine at his home before he reported to work on May 1 where he was again back at frontline duties.

“I just want to know if I am eligible under the Bayanihan Act, if not then it is okay,” said the bubbly South Cotabato native, who married and settled here.

Junsay is still trying to clarify if he is included after he got a message from the DOH-CAR that states: “Hindi kayo nakasama sa Covid-19 package because of mild symptoms ang manifestation nyo (You are not included in the Covid-19 package because your manifestations were mild)."

“For critical cases, lang yong PHP100,000 and PHP1 million yong namatay (For critical cases will receive PHP100,000 and PHPP1 million for those who have died),” added the message.

DOH record shows there are 20 health care workers who were inflicted with Covid-19-- 19 of them are hospital employees and a program coordinator under the city Health Services Office (HSO).

Out of the number, seven are nurses, six are doctors. The others are ambulance driver, midwife, data encoder, medical aid.

Junsay said that all Cordillera cases were mild including him despite being isolated during his 18-day stay.

Junsay was the first Covid-19 health care worker inflicted with Covid-19 and the first to go public after his test result came out to help in contact tracing and identify the persons whom he came in contact with prior to his confinement.

CAR has a total of 57 cases with five of them still in the hospital. Four were detected June 2 to 8 when the different provinces in the region were downgraded to modified general community quarantine. (PNA)