MANILA – Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said it is “un-Christian” to ask how he was given a priority hospital bed while other coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients are struggling to find medical facilities to get treated.
“That’s an un-Christian question,” was Roque’s reply to a question posed by a reporter on Monday. “I started my isolation at home, but my oxygen level fell to 90 that is why I was rushed to the hospital.”
He did not answer the question but gave assurance that all persons needing medical service will be provided help under President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.
“Ang aking assurance lang, sa administrasyon ni Presidente Duterte, lahat na merong pangangailangan medikal e mabibigyan ng tulong. ‘Yan na rin po dahil sa ating sinulong na Universal Health Care nung 17th Congress,” he added.
On April 10, Roque announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 again. He was first infected with the virus on March 15 but had a negative result 10 days after.
According to him, he will be confined at the hospital until Thursday after completion of four more vials of Remdesivir before isolating himself at home starting Friday.
Roque drew flak from netizens over the weekend after it went viral online that he was admitted to the Philippine General Hospital on Friday evening for treatment. This was despite the hospital’s announcement that it already reached full capacity.
Department of Health undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, meanwhile, declined to comment on the alleged prioritization of Roque as she said there was a process in patient’s admission in hospitals./PN
