DOH, AFP chiefs mingle with quarantined officers
Armed Forces of the Philippines ( AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio P. Catapang, Jr. and acting Health Secretary Janette Garin visited and mingled with Filipino peacekeepers under quarantine on Caballo Island, yesterday.
The visit aimed to show the public that there is nothing to worry about the peacekeepers being Ebola-carriers after returning from Liberia last week; and that government was true to its declaration that the country remains free of the dreaded virus.
“Gusto naming ipakita sa taum- bayan na hindi naman tayo dapat nagaalala sa Ebola. Up to now, okay tayo; we are on top of the situation (We want to show the nation that we need not worry about Ebola. Up to now, we’re okay; we are on top of the situation),” Catapang told reporters after their visit to the peacekeepers who recently returned from Ebola-hit Liberia.
The visit also aimed to determine the living conditions of the peacekeepers, placed on a 21- day quarantine period on the island.
Asked how the troops are doing, Catapang replied: “High morale naman sila… they are allowed to roam around the
whole island; wala nang restriction (Their morale is high… they are allowed to roam around the whole island, there are no more restrictions)”
“Our peacekeepers are jolly, they are happy and they are strong. They are doing about their daily activities,” he added.
For her part, Garin said: “We want to show (to the public) that without the necessary Ebola symptoms such as high-grade fever, bleeding, and diarrhea, no infection or contamination can take place.”
Still, she stressed that despite the lack of symptoms, the DOH is taking every possible precaution to ensure that Ebola will not make foothold in the Philippines.
In touch with families The peacekeepers are not totally cut off from the outside world, Malacañang said earlier.
Use of personal mobile phones, or those provided at the facility, and Internet connection allow them to communicate with their families, said Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Jr. in an interview over radio.
The peacekeepers had recently returned from Liberia where Ebola had claimed almost 3,000 lives. The Ebola death toll has reached 5,160 as of November 9, according to a WHO report.
Coloma explained the peacekeepers have unlimited use of their personal phones while those who have no mobile units can avail of the telecom equipment at the facility with certain time limits.
Caballo Island Upon arrival in Manila last week, the 133 peacekeepers were immediately brought to the island in Cavite for the mandatory quarantine procedure to prevent the entry of Ebola in the country.
Some family members reportedly complained of the difficulty to contact their loved ones on the island despite a government pledge to allow their constant communication.
Coloma extended the government’s gratitude to the families of the peacekeepers for their understanding of the quarantine procedure as a health precaution.
December homecoming Citing information from Armed Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, Coloma said the peacekeepers may be reunited with their families in the first week of December. A welcome ceremony is planned in Malacañang for that occasion.
The Palace official later clarified that such event to recognize the Filipino peacekeepers from Liberia is still subject “to approval and confirmation by the Office of the President.”
Malaria Meanwhile, one of the peacekeepers who reportedly contracted malaria will still undergo the 21-day quarantine procedure for Ebola, according to Coloma.
The unnamed soldier was earlier transferred from Caballo Island to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITC), for further tests.
“According to the Department of Health, the peacekeeper who tested negative for Ebola and positive for malaria will still undergo the 21-day isolation,” Coloma said in Filipino. (With a report from Genalyn D. Kabiling)