BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – Relatives of a suspected COVID case, an elderly woman who died inside a private hospital here, are lamenting what they described as a “delay” in the release of her RT-PCR test.
One of her grandchildren told DNX the delay has put at risk the dead patient’s husband and two children who have been in close contact with her.
DNX is withholding the real names of the fatality in compliance with existing reporting protocols, and the names of her relatives.
Nelly (not her real name), narrated to DNX some of the details related to her grandmother’s death.
She said Grace (not her real name) lived with her husband and two children in one house in the sub-village of BM in Taculing, one of the villages with a significant number of positive cases here.
Grace, who was treasurer of the local senior citizens association, was brought to the hospital on Friday afternoon, 12 September, after she complained of difficulty in breathing, Nelly said.
Eventually, she was intubated to aid in her breathing but had a cardiac arrest early in the morning of Saturday, 13 September.
She died after five attempts to revive her.
Nelly said one of her aunts followed up with the hospital Saturday morning about Grace’s swab results and was assured it will be released that afternoon.
When she went back to the hospital in the afternoon, an employee told her the swab specimens have yet to be sent to the laboratory, Nelly said quoting her aunt.
DNX is withholding the name of the hospital pending confirmation about the patient’s confinement at the facility.
Hospital officials have told DNX they will be looking into the complaint but have not yet confirmed if this person was indeed their patient.
“What worries us is the fact that there are other immuno-compromised people lola had been in contact with,” Nelly said.