House starts debates on anti-SARS measure

The House of Representatives is set to begin floor debates today on the proposed anti-SARS measure, which calls for mandatory quarantine on suspected carriers and the imposition of fines on those who give misleading information to authorities.

"We hope to approve it within the week," Negros Occidental Rep. Jose Apolinario Lozada, author of House Bill 5937, told The STAR.

"If there are any suggestions on changes, we can take it up during the period of amendment," he said.

President Arroyo on Saturday said she will certify as urgent a special legislation against the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and tasked the Department of Health (DOH) to study three proposed bills — two of which are from the Senate — to determine which would be endorsed or certified by Malacañang.

Under the proposed House Bill, Lozada said all persons traveling to the Philippines are required to answer questions and questionnaires to determine if they are SARS-infected or carriers of other highly contagious diseases.

Any person who has knowingly concealed information on the subject shall be fined P60,000 to P100,000, depending on the discretion of the court.

Foreigners who refuse to be quarantined despite exhibiting SARS symptoms or other highly contagious diseases may be denied entry or deported immediately.

The proposed measure also mandates all doctors, nurses and other health practitioners to render appropriate services to prevent and stop the spread of the disease in case of actual or threatened outbreak.

Proper authorities shall widely disseminate information detailing precautionary measures to prevent misinformation, disinformation and demoralization brought about by lack of accurate data concerning the illness.

The Department of Health (DOH) shall be the lead agency in implementing the law and shall prioritize programs aimed at preventing the spread of the disease.

Lozada said he is also studying suggestions on granting hazard pay to medical personnel drafted to help in the fight against SARS, and the free distribution of masks.

Davao City Rep. Prospero Nograles, on the other hand, recommended tighter restrictions on meat imports to minimize the entry of SARS.

In a related development, Lozada urged Malacañang to support the plea of Taiwan to be granted observer status in the World Health Organization (WHO) saying "health is apolitical."

He said a coordinate global effort is necessary in containing the SARS threat and that protecting the lives of people is more important than worrying about violating the One-China policy.

"Taiwan is important in the fight against SARS," Lozada said. "They have the technology to detect SARS in three days instead of seven days."

Meanwhile, in Singapore, there are only 26 deaths related to SARS and not 375 as The STAR reported yesterday. The Singapore embassy clarified that this was the total number of SARS deaths all over the world as reported by the WHO.

Paul Kho, counselor of the Singapore embassy, said that as of yesterday, there are 203 probable cases, 60 suspected cases and 147 patients who had recovered from the disease in Singapore.

The official website of the Singapore Ministry of Health, http://app.moh.gov.sg/sar, also reported that there are now 1,985 people quarantined at the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre (PPWC) while 662 other are under home quarantine.

The official figure of the WHO as of yesterday on SARS cases stands at 6,228 with 435 deaths. – With Perseus Echeminada