Asthmatic senior citizen dies at home after being rejected by 6 hospitals, says kin

A 65-year-old man suffering from difficulty in breathing in Nueva Ecija helplessly died at home after being refused by six different hospitals amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation.

In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV, the grieving daughter of patient Ladislao Cabling shared how they hopped from one hospital to another at 11 p.m. to seek medical attention.

Their hopes kept diminishing as each hospital rejected them, claiming there were no more vacant intensive care unit (ICU) rooms for the patient.

"Kitang-kita po nila 'yung tatay ko na hirap na hirap. Wala pong nagbigay kahit isa sa kanila na first aid sa tatay ko," Girlie Cabling-Cagaoan said.

She said his father has asthma.

"Wala na po kaming nagawa. Sabi niya, umuwi na lang ika tayo. Wala pong araw, oras po [namaalam na siya]... Naawa po siguro siya sa sarili niya," she added.

Girlie recounted that in one of the hospitals they went to, a nurse told her sibling that their father was positive for COVID-19 without even performing any tests.

The remains of the deceased senior citizen will be buried this Tuesday morning.

The frustrating incident has been cited by President Rodrigo Duterte during his speech aired early Tuesday.

"There’s a patient in the City of Cabanatuan who was refused admission by six hospitals. Alam ninyo mali ‘yan. So ‘pag totoo ‘yan, I will really ask the Justice Department to prosecute you kasi alam ninyo na hindi pwede ‘yan, especially the government hospital," Duterte said.

The President warned against neglecting patients needing other medical attention amid the COVID-19 health emergency.

"Paano ‘yung mga Pilipino na ganoon? Kaya lahat na magkasakit, heart attack, appendicitis, pumutok ang kung anong puputok diyan, pumutok ‘yung utak, especially government hospital, my order is: must accept admission. You fail on that, I will relieve all of you sa hospital and you can consider yourself suspended because the written order will follow," he said.—AOL, GMA News