House summons Duque to shed light on 2019-nCoV

FILE: Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (Photo by Ma. Teresa Montemayor/PNA)

MANILA — The House of Representatives has asked Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to attend its question hour on Wednesday to shed light on matters related to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

In a privilege speech on Tuesday, Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, who chairs the House Committee on Health, asked for Duque’s presence in plenary session to determine the government’s preparedness, particularly the Department of Health (DOH), to respond to this emerging public health threat.

“We need to know if the Department of Health is prepared, and not just prepared but fully prepared, if ever cases of the novel coronavirus are reported in the country. Are protocols in place? Do we have guidelines or infrastructure to accommodate the patients? Do we have the wherewithal to address the eventuality,” Tan said.

“The House, in the exercise of its legislative power and oversight functions, is perforce to call the Secretary of Health to appear before this very chamber in order to shed light on this pressing health concern. I hope that in so doing we would be able to protect and promote the health of the people and instill health consciousness among them,” Tan added.

House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez formally raised the motion to summon Duque before the plenary and hold the question hour on Wednesday.

“With leave of the House, I further move that the said Question Hour be held tomorrow, January 29, 2020, at the plenary hall to answer questions from members of the House of Representatives pertaining to the measures being undertaken by the Department of Health on the threat of the novel coronavirus in the country,” Romualdez added.

The DOH reported on Tuesday that about 24 persons are under investigation for suspected infection of the 2019-nCoV.

According to the DOH, there are no confirmed cases of a novel coronavirus in the Philippines yet as of Tuesday afternoon.

Tan recognized the efforts of the health department in taking the “necessary proactive steps” to address it, such as the establishment of a task force against the 2019-nCoV, heightened border screening through thermal scanning, and the health declaration checklist.

“For sick passengers, the Department of Health has utilized a decision table to evaluate these individuals as well as triaging at the arrival area. It is also regularly releasing a daily update on its surveillance of the virus,” she said.

“Si Secretary Duque po ay patuloy na nakikipag-ugnayan sa kanyang mga counterparts at sa World Health Organization patungkol po sa mga mabisang paraan upang mapigilan ang sakit na ito (Secretary Duque is continuously collaborating with his counterparts and the World Health Organization regarding the most effective way to prevent the spread of this disease),” she added.

The lawmaker, meanwhile, called upon the public to “remain calm and responsible amidst this global threat.”

“Sa lahat po ng ating mga kababayan wag tayo magpanic at magkalat ng maling balita o fake news tungkol sa coronavirus dahil dito nanggaling ang takot ng ating mga kababayan. Makinig lamang po tayo sa mga kinauukulan particular na ang Department of Health at World Health Organization dahil sila ang nakakaalam ng tamang impormasyon (To all our fellow Filipinos, let us not panic and spread false or fake news regarding the novel coronavirus because this would only cause fear among us. Let us listen to proper authorities, particularly the Department of Health and the World Health Organization because they know the correct information),” Tan said.

She also encouraged the public to practice frequent hand-washing, avoid symptomatic individuals, practice proper coughing etiquette, consume enough water, and immediately seek medical help when experiencing symptoms.

Romualdez, clarified in a separate statement, that the question hour would be held not for investigation purposes but as an exercise of the congressional oversight function to allay the public’s fears brought about by reports of the Wuhan virus.

“There are numerous reports about possible infection in several areas of the country. We need to know which of these are real and which are fake news. We are giving Secretary Duque a bigger platform to address the concerns of our constituents,” he added.

Persons can be exposed to nCov in three different ways such as through direct contact of a confirmed case of nCoV, through interaction with a health professional in a facility taking care of confirmed nCoV case, and through visiting the live animal market in Wuhan.

Currently, there is no specific treatment recommended for nCoV. Patients with nCoV could only be given supportive care to relieve its symptoms.

China has allocated a total of 11.21 billion yuan (about USD1.63 billion) to curb the spread of novel coronavirus.