COVID-19-positive professor goes hospital-hopping to be admitted

Burning with fever and barely unable to stand, a professor who later tested positive for COVID-19 went hospital-hopping looking to be admitted, but was confronted with medical centers filled to the brim.

According to Ivan Mayrina’s report on “24 Oras,” Vanessa Villanueva sought treatment in a hospital on March 12 after she suffered from a 38°C fever and sore throat.

Villanueva first went to the University of Santo Tomas hospital in Manila, where she could avail her medical benefit as an employee of the school.

However, the hospital management told her that they were already at full capacity and advised her to go somewhere else.

“Wala naman silang dahilan na i-reject ako. Kaya lang puno na po talaga,” Villanueva said.

(They had no reason to reject me. It was really just full already)

Villanueva next went to the Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City. Upon arrival, she was greeted with a sign on the hospital doors on the lack of vacancy for COVID-19 patients.

“Puno na po. May mga dumarating din na pasyente na naka-sasakyan, may mga naka-stretcher, ‘yung matatanda, tapos pinaupo ako sa gilid,” she said.

(It was also full. Other patients who were in cars, stretchers, senior citizens were also arriving, and they asked me to sit on the side.)

“Pero makikita mo ‘yung mga nurse talaga ‘yung hindi na nila alam sino ‘yung uunahin, ang dami pong pasyente,” she added.

(You could see that the nurses were also torn on who to prioritize with the number of patients)

Villanueva then proceeded to the Fe Del Mundo Hospital, but there was also no vacancy available.

Though she was initially asked to sit outside, she was given first aid in the emergency room.

As she was already having trouble breathing, Villanueva should have been for admission. However, she was 18th in line.

“38 na ‘yung lagnat ko. Hindi na ko makatayo, eh, kasi hospital-hopping ka na, may sakit ka na, nag ta-taxi ka, hindi mo kaya, kaya lang wala ka na choice,” she said.

(My fever was already at 38°C. I can’t stand up anymore because I went hospital hopping, I had a fever, I couldn’t do it anymore, but I had no choice.)

Villanueva kept returning to the Fe Del Mundo hospital to get her treatment for pneumonia.

She said her 13-year-old son also started getting sick.

They were tested for COVID-19 by barangay authorities on March 19, a week after she experienced the symptoms. Both tested positive.

However, as their conditions had improved and there was no room available where they could stay together, they decided to undergo quarantine at home while being strictly monitored by the local government.

Based on GMA data analysis, the ICU, isolation, and ward beds of many hospitals in Metro Manila with COVID beds are now at critical level.—Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News