By Tedler D. Depaynos, MD
When an elderly colleague learned that a recent 61 years old female Covid 19 patient just came from abroad, he became severely worried and very tense as he recalled his recent newly arrived OFW patients. He was with obvious tremors and his voice appeared uneasy as he related the story on his latest OFW patients who consulted him.
Actually, his first 53 years old male patient even symptomless never failed to routinely consult him whenever he was around for a vacation. He called him up the first week of February, one week after his arrival for his routine check-up which included laboratory tests, chest x-ray and abdominal ultrasound (UTZ). Although he made an early appointment, he only came last week of February because of his busy schedule and anyway his scheduled flight back was supposed to be middle of March. All his work-ups were essentially normal but then he wanted to have his heart routinely checked before going back so that he was referred to a young cardiologist. That was the last time my colleague saw his patient and he did not know during that time if he was able to return back to where he came from where he had been working for the past one and a half decades.
My colleague’s other patient was a 49 years old female who arrived one week later and although she knew the first patient because they came from the same place and are both active in their Benguet association abroad, she did not know that he came home for a vacation earlier. She also came routinely for consultation one week after arrival and her work-ups were all likewise essentially within normal limits. She was also scheduled to fly back before the end of March.
My elderly colleague mentioned that routinely he has OFW patients from time to time who seek routine consultations and work-ups when back home for vacation because when abroad their busy schedules inhibit them from seeking consultations. Besides, despite the presence of interpreters, they often have difficulty understanding the local language. Some come from London, Japan, Hongkong and even from Italy.
During the consultations of these two patients, my colleague mentioned that the Covid 19 virus was not yet common and although from the present news, China and followed later by Italy were suffering gravely to the pandemic, nothing was mentioned by his two patients.
My elderly colleague started confining himself at home after we met because of fear of infection especially so because he is a senior for about a decade already. Despite some patients calling him, he refused to go to the hospital giving various alibis. Actually, we just met at the hospital corridor when he mentioned to me his patients. It was already more than two weeks since we met and it was already more than three weeks since he saw those patients, but he was still not at ease in going out especially when he read of the doctors who were infected and sadly passed away suddenly because their patients never mentioned that they came from a country with severe Covid 19 problems. The doctors were trying to save their patients’ lives but instead lost theirs because they were not warned to take precautions.
My colleague wanted to extend his self-quarantine because of the risk of medical practice during this kind of situation. Besides, with his age he felt to be more receptive with a higher risk.
While confined at home, my colleague was able finally to contact his male patient who decided not yet to return. He has 2nd thoughts of returning permanently. He is busy with the construction of his backyard poultry farm with layers which he plans to start after the pandemic problem.
With regards to his other patient, my colleague learned from her relatives that she went down with a daughter to visit her other daughter who is employed somewhere in Metro Manila. They have not yet returned home. Actually, they had plans of going to the south but perhaps due to the sudden strict community lockdown they were prohibited to travel even back home.
My colleague must be getting bored talking to himself at home. **
