CCHD vows to improve COVID-19 record-keeping

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Cebu City Health Department (CCHD) vowed to improve its record-keeping system pertaining to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.

In a statement issued on Monday, July 13, CCHD publicly apologized to a family residing in Cebu City when a ‘clerical error’ led them to issue a certificate of clinical recovery to one of the latter’s relatives who tested positive for COVID-19 and has since succumbed last May 28.

“As the City Health Officer of the City of Cebu, I will make sure that this incident will not happen again and assure the public that this is an isolated case and assured that there are already systems and mechanism set in place in the Office in order to avoid the same unfortunate incident to happen in the future,” read portions of the statement that was signed by Dr. Daisy Villa.

The incident referred to a 72-year-old man from Barangay Kamputhaw who was rushed for hospital care after suffering symptoms of COVID-19 last May. The patient eventually passed away last May 28.

His living relatives took to social media to call out the lapses of the city government when they received a certificate indicating that their late family member has recovered from the disease, and was discharged.

Villa, for her part, apologized for the incident and ‘took full responsibility for the miscommunication’.

“It is with deep regrets that this unfortunate incident happened during these challenging times. We humbly apologize and sympathize with the family,” said Villa.

“Nonetheless, as Head of Office, I take full responsibility for what happened to the release of the certification which is an apparent miscommunication and clerical error on the part of our barangay health personnel in Barangay Kamputhaw, as well as on the part of our City Health Office Staff assigned for the issuance of the Certification for Clinically Recovered Individuals,” she added. /dbs