Senior citizens, beware

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

EARLY last week, there has been a howl of protests on social media ranged against the new guideline issued by the IATF, a seeming ironclad rule for senior citizens not to leave their homes when the General Community Quarantine goes into effect in some provinces.

On Facebook, the rants against the new rule by seniors went on and on. Memes listing the factors that refute the basis for the continued ban on seniors to freely move quickly went viral among seniors, understandably.

Two days later, DILG Sec. Eduardo Año yielded to the pressure, reconsidered, and decided to allow seniors to leave their homes not only to buy essentials for their needs, i.e., to buy medicines and food, consult doctors, etc., but to allow seniors to report for work in activities authorized to operate!

Personally, this new decision allowing seniors to leave home for work is both regrettable and alarming – for seniors, their families and our medical frontliners.

I fear that the amended guideline for seniors has opened the floodgates for seniors to leave home for many other purposes except for work

In Pangasinan, we can expect the four cities (Dagupan, San Carlos, Urdaneta and Alaminos) to end up as the epicenters soon as the seniors in the province begin roaming the streets, visiting friends and relatives ostensibly for work, greatly increasing their risks of infection to themselves and their friends and relatives.

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LISTEN TO GEORGE. Lest our seniors in the province begin to think that being active and fit are enough assurance that seniors are not vulnerable and susceptible to the virus, it is this mindset that will hasten their travel to their place six feet under the ground.

As one meme on Facebook that showed a medical frontliner in his PPE correctly warned: “Lifting the quarantine too soon is like you stop taking your antibiotics just because you feel better.” Bulls eye!

Our seniors should heed the advice of our Dagupeño George Chua Cham, an active senior, who had a close call, having been given only 30% chance to survive the COVID-19 virus in his body.  He was emphatic when he said in many words, “Do not think that being healthy and active will immune you from the virus because that’s what I thought until I caught it.”

George, at 69, narrated that his active life backed by his healthy physical condition was no match to the invisible aggressive infection of COVID-19. He believed he was asymptomatic the whole time, and his immunity was strong enough to resist a viral infection.

He was wrong, almost fatal in his case.

He realized that feeling he was ill was nothing compared to what followed later. His family could not find a hospital to accept him for treatment. He was fortunate to have known Dr. James Dy, the chairman of the Chinese General Hospital, his fellow volunteer-official at the Federation of Filipino-Chinese of Commerce and Industries, Inc., who worked out for his immediate accommodation at the hospital. If he had not known Dr. Dy, George would perhaps be gone by now all because no hospital could accommodate him.

Seniors in Pangasinan should ponder this situation. There may no longer be enough isolation and treatment facilities for COVID-19 patients in Pangasinan when the mass testing starts. Like George, this will be a local senior’s family’s nightmare – no hospital will be available when the emergency arises.

Then comes the realization that one is not prepared physically and emotionally to cope with the painful process of being treated, particularly if intubation has become necessary.

Recall that George confessed that he had wanted his intubation ended because he could no longer bear the difficulty and the pain that went with the process. He had resigned himself to surrendering fully to the will of God. And as fate would have it, he survived without the intubation and he attributed his recovery mostly to God who did a miracle on his case… and of course, the medical staff and the varied medicines he opted to be tested on him.

Then again, how many can be assured that they can be as lucky as George?  

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WATCH OUT KAPITAN! DILG has already warned that some 100 barangay kapitan were already issued show-cause orders why they should not be charged administratively for their reported anomalies that accompanied their distribution of both food and cash aid to their constituents.

Before our barangay officials in Pangasinan start thinking that they are protected by their mayors, they are in for a big shock… they will to be left alone holding the incriminating proverbial bag. Why? They, the mayors, too, will be held accountable for failing to stop the irregularities (though the whole thing was hatched by the mayor).

Times are different. The use of social media has allowed citizens full and unfettered access to the national government.  Smartphones can take pictures of witnessed irregularities and post these without much ado.

Thank God for technology, citizens are more empowered in this decade.

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