Press Release No. 104-03
24 March 2003
 
SARS CLAIMS FIRST OFW VICTIM IN HONG KONG
 
The Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong announced this morning the death of a Filipino domestic helper infected with atypical pneumonia or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

The SARS victim passed away this morning at 9:14 am at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Consul-General Victoria Bataclan said the name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of her next of kin and in deference to the privacy of her loved ones.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople said he will request the Department of Health and Bureau of Immigration to work closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs in promoting public awareness on SARS among OFWs and to come up with stricter quarantine measures for passengers coming in from China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam.

Secretary Ople said he had also received reports of four additional Filipinos afflicted with SARS in Singapore, bringing the total of OFWs with acute atypical pneumonia in that country to nine Filipinos out of 31 confirmed SARS cases. None of the nine Filipinos are said to be in serious condition.

The DFA and its posts have been actively monitoring the health conditions of SARS victims. "Both Ambassador Ernesto Llamas in Singapore and Consul General Bataclan in Hong Kong have assured me that they are able to talk to the patients individually and convey to their families in the Philippines the patients’ medical condition," Ople added.

According to the report of Ambassador Llamas, the four additional SARS cases are staff nurses who are now being treated at the Communicable Disease Center of the Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Visitors to SARS patients are required to wear masks, gloves and gowns. One of the patients said that four days prior to admission to a hospital, she developed dry cough, fever and headache. The day before she was admitted, the patient said she felt very weak and nauseous.

The Department of Foreign Affairs declined to identify the OFWs afflicted with SARS for reasons of confidentiality.

"I will meet with Health Secretary Dayrit, Labor Secretary Sto. Tomas and airport and immigration officials specifically on this problem," Secretary Ople said. (END)