Doctors to the barrios summoned to Cebu City concerned with communities they left

A physician in the government's Doctors to the Barrio (DTTB) program who was recalled and assigned to Cebu City's COVID-19 frontlines has expressed concern over the rural community he left behind in Argao.

According to Ian Cruz’ Tuesday report on “24 Oras,” it has been almost a year since Dr. Hubert Lantajo was deployed to Argao, Cebu as a DTTB.

In April and May, he was recalled from his assignment to serve at a COVID Center in Cebu City, the area with the highest number of cases nationwide.

In June, he returned to Argao to attend to an increasing number of COVID-19 patients.

On Friday, Lantajo was once again recalled from Argao to return to Cebu City.

“Kung saan talaga need ‘yung services namin, doon kami. E sa municipalities nga namin, nagi-increase-an na ‘yung cases ng COVID tapos kami ipu-pull out pa, tapos do’n pa naman sa private [hospital], e may kapasidad naman ‘yung private mag-hire ng ibang doktor,” he lamented.

Lantajo stressed that he was not opposed to serving COVID-19 patients in Cebu City but said he was worried for the people of Argao.

It has also been days since he returned to Cebu City but he has yet to begin duty at a hospital.

“Pinull out kami agad agad. Hindi naman sinabi kung ano talaga ‘yung job description, anong gagawin sa hospital, kung ano ‘yung… role namin do’n kasi first of all, ‘yung DTTB is parang community health lang, ‘di ba. If ever ilalagay do’n sa hospital, wala naman kaming know-how talaga or idea kung anong gagawin namin,” he said.

The Department of Health (DOH) earlier announced that the deployment of DTTBs in Cebu City was now voluntary.

“Tayong mga doktor, bilang manggagamot, we have sworn an oath to be able to serve. Para rin tayong mga sundalo. Ang sundalo ‘pag may giyera tinatawag din naman sila,” DOH 7 spokesperson Mary Jean Loreche said.

“Hindi naman nangangailangan ng MOA (memorandum of agreement ‘yun ‘di ba, so susunod tayo kasi ‘yun ‘yun, kung saan may pangangailangan, do’n tayo dadalhin,” she added.

DTTBs earlier criticized the “abrupt, exploitative” DOH order transferring them from their areas of assignment to Cebu City.

Meanwhile, Region 7’s inter-agency COVID-19 task force recommended general community quarantine for Cebu City with a selective lockdown for certain areas.

“We made a recommendation… kung sino lang ‘yung nangangailangan na i-lock down natin,” Loreche said.

President Rodrigo Duterte will announce his latest directives on quarantine restrictions nationwide on Tuesday night. -NB, GMA News