Another Pinay maid in HK dies of SARS

A Filipina domestic worker suspected of having Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has died at a hospital in Hong Kong, the Department of Labor and Employment reported yesterday.

The fatality, identified only as "JC," died yesterday morning, a day after being admitted to Queen Mary Hospital. Health authorities in Hong Kong are examining the woman’s remains to determine the cause of death, Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas said.

However, Consul General to Hong Kong Victoria Bataclan, however, told ABS-CBN television’s "TV Patrol" the Filipina suffered from a ruptured appendix and that she complained of headaches.

JC, who hails from Leyte province, was classified as a probable SARS case because her death was sudden, Sto. Tomas said. "Any death becomes a SARS suspect in Hong Kong."

If the cause of death is determined to be SARS, JC will become the second Filipino in Hong Kong to die from the mystery virus. The first was also a Filipina domestic worker, who died on March 24.

Three Filipinos, two women and one man, all confirmed SARS cases, are currently confined in Hong Kong hospitals.

One of them, a woman married to a Chinese national, remains in critical condition at United Christian Hospital. The other two, an engineer and a Filipina domestic helper, are out of danger.

There are 153,000 Filipino maids in Hong Kong, part of a seven-million strong army of Filipino migrant workers in several other countries and territories who earn at least $7 billion for the Philippines every year.

Meanwhile, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) called on the public not to shun Filipino migrant workers amid the SARS crisis, which is taking a toll on the region’s economies.

Instead, those suspected of having the flu-like virus should be encouraged to seek medical attention, OWWA chief Virgilio Angelo said. At the same time, he called on Filipinos in SARS-affected countries to "make the supreme sacrifice" of temporarily postponing plans to return to the country until the outbreak abates.

China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Canada are the countries most severely affected by the outbreak, believed to have erupted in southern China’s Guangdong province in November.

But SARS only became recognized as a global health threat six weeks ago when it began appearing in other countries after the virus was transported by air travelers.

In a summit in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday, health ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and key partners China, Japan and South Korea called for strict screening measures at all airports and other exit points to prevent suspected cases of SARS from traveling.

In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the ministers affirmed the need to bar SARS suspects from going to other countries to stem the outbreak.

They said they were "convinced of the effectiveness of screening of passengers before they leave affected areas in preventing the spread of SARS."

The meeting was a prelude to an ASEAN summit of heads of state today in Bangkok to discuss the crisis. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.