PMA hits Gov. Garcia for 'belittling' doctors' efforts against COVID-19

The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) on Friday lashed back at Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for "attacking" efforts of medical doctors and health practitioners in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

An "Unang Balita" report said that PMA lamented that instead of giving moral support for the medical frontliners in Cebu, governor Garcia was inclined to water their services down.

"Instead of thanking them for their priceless service and their good faith in promoting the correct safeguards and health protocols, she [Garcia] attacked their integrity and good name. This is completely unacceptable," the PMA said in a statement as quoted in the report.

But Garcia said in an earlier statement, "from the first time that we began promoting steam inhalation, we have never, ever claimed that this is a cure for COVID-19 because, in the first place, their is no cure yet."

But the PMA insisted that steam inhalation (tuob) could even scatter the coronavirus, multiplying the possibility of contagion.

"Contrary to [Cebu governor Garcia's claims], the tuob does not treat COVID-19. Worse, it may facilitate the virus' aerosolization and contamination of nearby persons, objects or surfaces... and [tuob] might promote a false sense of security...," the PMA added.

According to the Unang Balita report, the Department of Health backed the claims of the PMA, saying that there is no scientific study yet to prove that tuob is an effective antidote to COVID-19.

Since the past few weeks, Gov. Garcia has gone about promoting tuob to the barangays as a possible home remedy for the dreaded pandemic, after her niece in New Jersey, the daughter of her brother Mayor Garcia of Barili town, supposedly got healed of COVID-19 infection without medical help.

However, experts have repeatedly claimed that there is no scientific study yet being done showing that the home remedy for flu and common colds practiced for hundreds of years in Asian countries, including the Philippines, has therapeutic value. —LBG, GMA News