An illegal hospital treating Chinese nationals in an upscale village has been ordered to shut by authorities.

Luxury villa housed Chinese nationals infected with virus

CITY of San Fernando’s Clark Development Corp. (CDC) ordered the closure and full lockdown of an illegal hospital treating Chinese nationals infected with the coronavirus (Covid-19) disease inside an upscale village at Clark Freeport, north of this provincial capital of Pampanga.

The two orders, signed by CDC president Noel Manankil, were issued after a raid on a residential villa inside Fontana Leisure Parks by the Central Luzon police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the CDC on Tuesday afternoon.

The facility and its personnel violated the Medicine Act of 1958, according to a report from the Philippine National Police headquarters at Camp Crame, Quezon

City.

The raiding team arrested Hu Ling, the villa-cum-hospital supervisor, and Lee Seung Hyun, a pharmacist.

The raid was launched after authorities received a letter of complaint that reported a supposed

Covid-19 patient and a drugstore in the unit.

More than 200 suspected coronavirus rapid test kits and syringes were recovered from trash cans at the villa.

The unit has a small canteen with stacks of beer cases at the lobby entrance where a red sign welcomed visitors with well wishes in Chinese characters.

The hospital and the drugstore are in a large room by the swimming pool at the back of the compound, according to Police Brig. Gen Rhoderick Armamento, the CIDG deputy director for administration.

The Chinese male patient was moved to a local hospital.

CDC did not say how long the facility had been existing, but Armamento said it might have been operating secretly for about three months.

Manankil said the two arrested Chinese failed to present a license to operate from the Department of Health and the FDA.

The raiding teams also seized medicines with Chinese labels that were reportedly used for treating the Covid-19 patients confined in the facility. The FDA said the medicines were not registered with the agency.

Police Lt Gen Guillermo Eleazar, who heads a national police force enforcing quarantine restrictions, said that the illegal hospital and drugstore could endanger patients instead of saving them because these did not conform with government health regulations and standards.