Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. FILE PHOTO / MALACAÑANG
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) is blocking the entry of Chinese doctors who were supposed to help in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro “Teddyboy” Locsin Jr.
I ASKED AMB. HUANG to send us Chinese doctors. Interpreters are no problem: Chinese General Hospital and the Metropolitan Hospital—where Yuchengcos had equity, my daughter was born there—will readily supply them. BUT DOH is blocking their arrival. DON'T PISS ME OFF. LET THEM IN.
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) March 28, 2020
In a now-deleted Twitter post on Saturday, Locsin revealed that he had asked Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian to send the doctors to the country.
“Interpreters are no problem: Chinese General Hospital and the Metropolitan Hospital—where Yuchengcos had equity, my daughter was born there—will readily supply them,” he further stated.
However, Locsin bared that the DOH is blocking the doctors’ arrival.
In a later tweet, Locsin stated that the problem is being fixed.
“DON’T PISS ME OFF. LET THEM IN,” a fuming Locsin expressed.
Previously, China donated test kits, surgical masks and other medical equipment to the Philippines amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The country’s record of COVID-19 cases as of Saturday rose to 803, of these include 54 deaths and 31 recoveries.