In a few days, we bid adieu to 2020, arguably a very bad start for a new decade.
It started with the eruption of Taal Volcano, which strained our rescue resources, particularly for face masks and safety goggles, and most of all financial, material and medical resources which were mostly utilized to feed and shelter refugees. Little did we know that the worst was yet to come.
By late February, medical facilities were beginning to detect a disease with flu-like symptoms that were mostly dismissed as severe pneumonia. By March, medical experts knew that we were being assaulted by a pandemic that killed within days of infection. Through the uncertainties, and because of the China pivot of the government, we allowed Chinese tourists from of all places, Wuhan, to enter and visit Boracay. One such tourist developed the symptoms here and was shipped off to China. All this time, Chinese authorities were aware of the pandemic and did not sound the alarm until mid-April, after global authorities had detected similar cases in Italy and wherever a significant Chinese presence was observed. In the case of Italy, a significant amount of Chinese were present working on the Belt and Roadway projects that the Italian government collaborated on with China.
By this time, the United States was also feeling the effects of the pandemic, though the US government failed to act decisively to counteract it, even downplaying it as a minor irritation which would go away by May.
Our concentration in this article is the Philippines and our medical community responded beautifully, and to date we have the best rate of recoveries thanks to our doctors who discovered that a cocktail of drugs was effective in curing the disease. This despite lack of ventilators, personal protective equipment (PPEs) and hospital beds. Notwithstanding, some of our large private hospitals have one of the world’s best records in recoveries.
Government efforts were mainly focused on lockdowns rather than contact tracing, and placed many businesses under stress. Subsequently, around 15 million Filipinos found themselves out of a job, straining our meager social services resources. Despite billions of pesos spent on cash handouts, this was just a drop in the bucket compared with the total need.
Because of the terrible balance that government had to exercise, lockdowns were eased in late May and the quarantine measures reduced in early June. As expected, the easing of the quarantine measures failed to abate the spread of the disease. However, the average Filipino, mindful of the costs of contracting the disease, have largely followed the masking mandate and social distancing without the vociferous resistance demonstrated in the US.
Today, as a result of the general easing, the contraction rate of the disease is nearing plateau levels and the mortality rate is on a downward trend, perhaps as a result of both the masking and distancing measures, but also because our doctors are now more familiar with the appropriate treatment protocols. This is not to downgrade the heroic efforts of our health practitioners, many of who have themselves succumbed to the disease.
The lessons that we learned are what give us hope for 2021.
- We have to be prepared for another future pandemic. As it is now, there are reports of fresh outbreaks of epidemics in China.
- Our Infectious diseases unit of the Department of Health has to be appropriately funded and equipped to deal with future pandemics, including more and modern laboratory equipment.
- The Philippine government should have close and frequent liaison with other national and international health agencies so we can have a faster response time.
- PhilHealth should not be used as a charitable outlet to treat anyone for free. As a result of the free treatment of the first 5,000 or so covid-19 victims, the funds of PhilHealth were severely depleted, to the detriment of those who paid their dues through mandatory salary deductions.
- A National Health Service should be established, similar to the British National Health Service to treat those non-paying members of society who depend upon government support for treatment. PhilHealth should be left alone to care for its dues paying members.
With the advent of vaccines for Covid and the improved health and treatment protocols, we face 2021 with greater hope, barring any other natural or man-made calamity or disaster. A note of caution, however:
It appears that very few seem be willing to be vaccinated with any Chinese-made vaccines.
A lot of hard work remains to restore what has been ravaged and damaged by the pandemic: the economy, education and business.