DOH asked to educate OFWs in Saudi about deadly virus

FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—An overseas Filipino workers group has called on the Philippine government to send medical attaches to Saudi Arabia, the country worst affected by the outbreak of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

Migrante-Middle East said OFWs in the Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries have lots of questions about the ailment and the Philippine government should be doing something to educate the workers and prepare them for contingencies.

“There are lots of medical concerns by our fellow OFWs not only in Saudi Arabia but also in other Mideast countries. Giving them right information, education, and guidance would be of help to prevent work-related diseases,” John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-ME regional coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement.

Citing latest reports, Monterona said three more persons in Saudi Arabia have died from MERS-CoV, on top of the previous 17 fatalities in the kingdom.

“It is in the best interest of our Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia that they will be properly informed, educated, and guided about taking care of their health amid the spread of MERS-CoV in the kingdom,” Monterona added.

He said the Philippine government should also launch a massive information and education campaign at Philippine diplomatic posts in the Middle East about MERS-CoV and other illnesses such as avian flu and swine flu.

On Friday, Italy became the ninth country to report a MERS-CoV infection, which afflicted a 45-year-old man who had traveled to Jordan.

Aside from Saudi Arabia and Italy, other countries where the ailment has spread include Jordan, Qatar, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates. A total of 51 people have been infected, 30 of whom have died.

The OFW leader said the deployment of a team of medical practitioners for the purpose of informing, educating, and providing guidance to OFWs in  Saudi Arabia on how to prevent and avoid MERS-CoV infection could be arranged by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Health.

“I think it does not need prior approval by the host government as the deployment of a team of medical attaches could be done as an internal arrangement between the two PH government agencies. But if the DFA can arrange the deployment of Filipino medical attaches to establish and in the spirit of medical bilateral cooperation with Saudi Arabia, then it would be better,” he said.

Monterona said the deployment of a team or teams of medical attachés in Saudi Arabia should be made permanent, not just because of the recent spread of MERS-CoV. He added they have been suggesting the deployment of medical attaches since three years ago.

He said there was no need yet to suspend the deployment of OFWs to Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries affected by the illness.

“For now, we advise our fellow OFWs in Saudi Arabia and in other mid-east countries to take extra care and properly attend to their health and personal hygiene,” he said.

There are around 1.5 million Filipinos working and residing in Saudi Arabia. More than 25,000 land-based OFWs are deployed every month to the kingdom.