ER of Tondo hospital temporarily closed due to suspected meningococcal infection

In a public health advisory from GABMMC’s ID specialist Yapendon Fresco, one cannot get easily infected by meningococcemia unlike measles and chickenpox. (File photo: Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center/Facebook)

Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center (GABMMC) in Tondo, Manila announced on Wednesday, January 23, that its emergency room (ER) is still temporarily closed due to a suspected meningococcal infection.

“Sinara kasi ‘yang emergency room kagabi kasi merong suspected case ng meningococcemia. Pero suspetsya pa lang naman po ‘yon kaya lang syempre para maiwasan natin baka mamaya may mahawa kaya po sinara na po namin (The emergency room was closed last night because there is a suspected case of meningococcemia. But it is just a suspected case, however, we closed it already to avoid anyone from being infected),” Dr. Rolan Mendiola, senior house officer of GABMMC, told reporters.

Mendiola revealed that there was a 55-year-old patient from Manila who has had a fever for five days and that rashes are seen on his feet, which show symptoms of meningococcemia. The patient was admitted to the hospital last night and was referred to an Infectious Disease (ID) doctor.

In a public health advisory from GABMMC’s ID specialist Yapendon Fresco, one cannot get easily infected by meningococcemia unlike measles and chickenpox.

“Paano nakukuha ang meningococcemia? Droplet and contact transmission. Kapag nasinghot ang hangin na may bacteria na nanggaling sa ilong ng isang carrier o may sakit, pwede mahawa ang nakasinghot (How can meningococcemia be obtained? Through droplet and contact transmission. If someone inhaled the air that has bacteria which came from the nose of a carrier or a person who has the disease, then that person can be infected),” Fresco said in a statement shared by GABMMC on its Facebook page.

He explained that bacteria cannot survive for a long time in the air that is why people who can only get infected are those who are near or having “three to five feet distance” from the patient.

“Maaari ring mahawa kung ang likido tulad ng sipon at dugo ng carrier o pasyente ay dumapo o madikit sa mata o bibig ng ibang tao (A person can also be infected if liquids like mucus and blood of the carrier or patient get into or stick to the eye or mouth of others),” the specialist added.

Fresco also told the public not to panic as such disease is rare.

According to Mendiola, the patient has been isolated in the ER as they wait for the confirmation of medical results which usually take five days to release.

Asked about safety precautions that the hospital is doing, Mendiola said other patients in the emergency unit, as well as hospital staff, were given a prophylactic so that they won’t get infected by the suspected disease.

In its statement, GABMMC also assured the public that the hospital is already implementing precautionary measures to prevent any risk of spread of infection.

Despite the ER being temporarily closed, the hospital said its operations remain “normal” in all other areas including the out-patient department.

GABMMC also warned netizens from the spread of false information regarding the matter.

“Any news disseminated in social media with information that is not from the GABMMC official FB page is not reliable,” it said.

Last Friday, the Department of Health (DOH) denied rumors circulating on social media that there is a meningococcemia outbreak in the country.

The Health Department issued the statement after a two-year-old girl, who “exhibited signs and symptoms” of meningococcemia, died.

The local government of Valenzuela City, however, said that the child was ‘negative’ of such disease.