A nurse was kicked out of her boarding house after her landlady found out that she tested positive for COVID-19 in Makati City, Sunday.
“Gem” is a customer care representative nurse from a health maintenance organization. Red Cross rescued her roaming the streets of Makati yesterday.
She said she informed her landlady that she acquired the disease and was told to leave the accommodation before the next day.
“Ang sabi po sa’kin sa text, hanggat maaari, bago mag-umaga ay wala ka na rito,” Gem told ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo.
(They told I should be gone before morning.)
The frontliner said she informed her family, who was in Batangas of her condition, but they told her they could not get her because it was already late since she left the boarding house at around 9 pm.
“Nung naghahanap po ako ng matutuluyan ko, wala po akong makita sa Makati. Hanggang dun po ako nakarating sa Pasay, dun po ako naka-check in,” she said.
(When I was looking for a shelter, I could not find any in Makati. Until I reached Pasay where I checked-in.)
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Nurse kicked out of boarding house after testing positive for COVID-19
Gem’s family meanwhile, said she should test negative for the disease first before she could return home in Batangas.
The nurse then went to barangay Olympia, Makati health center for help.
“Nung pumunta po ako, ang sabi sa ‘kin, sarado raw ang barangay health center… Ang sabi po sa ‘kin, ‘Sinasabi ko sa’yo, di ka matutulungan dito.’ May binigay sa ‘kin na contact number. Landline po, kaya di ko po ma-contact,” she said.
(When I went there, they told the barangay health center is closed. They even told me, “I’m telling you, we can’t help you here.” They gave a contact number, but it is a landline, so I cannot call it.)
Gem was eventually referred to the Red Cross through a friend.
Zenaida Beltejar, a consultant of Philippine Red Cross Welfare services, said they found the nurse sitting on the gutter along Southville Makati corner JP Rizal.
Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the PRC, said what happened to the COVID-19 positive nurse was a story of discrimination. He added he would report the incident to concerned government officials and urge them to set up policies to address such situations.