Date                 : May 2, 2003

 

To                     : MDH Personnel

 

From                 : Assistant Hospital Director

 

What are the policies and procedures on a MDH employees who have been exposed to persons and places with possible SARS outside MDH and who, under the present circumstances, have the potential threat of being discriminated, ostracized, and stigmatized by co-employees?

 

Definition of Terms:

 

  1. A  persons with possible SARS include SARS suspect, probable SARS, and confirmed SARS based on DOH-WHO case definition.

 

Case Definition:

 

    1. Patients under surveillance for SARS- patients with history of travel to high risk places and / or exposure to persons with possible SARS but without symptoms.
    2. SARS suspect patients-patients with history of travel to high risk places and /or exposure to persons with possible SARS but with symptoms of high fever, respiratory syndrome, dry cough.
    3. Probable SARS patients- patients described under SARS suspect patients with laboratory findings and radiographic evidence of infiltrates consistent with pneumonia or respiratory distress syndrome on chest X-ray that increase the suspicion of SARS.
    4. Confirmed SARS patients- patients with a positive confirmatory tests of SARS

 

  1. Places with possible SARS include RITM, San Lazaro Hospital, and other hospital known to have admitted SARS patients and communities quarantined by DOH for SARS – related reasons.

 

Policies and Procedures:

 

    1. All MDH employees who have been exposed to persons and places with possible SARS outside MDH shall report the exposure to the Industrial Medical Services Department (IMSD) through Phone. IMSD has utilized the screening questionnaire.
    2. The IMSD physician, after evaluation and with concurrence of an MDH Consultant on SARS (namely: Dr. Melecia A. Velmonte and Dr.. Cecilia Montalban) , shall decide and certify whether the concerned MDH employees shall be quarantined at home, allowed to report to work, or be confined in a DOH designated SARS referral hospital.
    3. MDH employees prescribed quarantine at home or admitted to a DOH designated SARS center shall file a vacation and or sick leave. If all sick leave credits have been consumed, the leave can be applied with SSS as sickness Benefit.
    4. A certification of fitness to report for work from IMSD physician and MDH consultant on SARS is required for all MDH employees exposed to person and places with possible SARS outside MDH before they can report for work. A copy of the certification shall be submitted to Human Resource department and the Department head. All co-employees in the hospital and department shall respect the certification. Such certification shall be used to deter discrimination, ostracism, and stigmatization of the concerned employees. All acts and behavior of discrimination, ostracism, and stigmatization in the presence of such certification are not allowed and will be given sanctions by the Human Resource Department and the Hospital Disciplinary Action Committee.

 

For strict implementation. Thank you for your cooperation

 

                RITA WANNIGER

            Assistant Hospital Director