COVID-19 patients who refuse to disclose info to DOH may be penalized — Nograles

MANILA, Philippines — Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles stressed that COVID-19 patients who refuse to disclose personal information to the Department of Health may be penalized.

“Kailagan po talaga 'yung mga pasyente, mag-disclose ng accurate at truthful information sa DOH and kung hindi po mag-reveal or mag-share ng information 'yung pasyente ay mapapahamak po siya. 'Yan po ay nakasulat sa batas,” Nograles, spokesperson of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, said in a virtual presser Monday morning.

(Patients should disclose accurate and truthful information to DOH and if patients will not reveal or share information, they may face sanctions. This is what the law states.)

Republic Act 11332 or the “Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act” allows the declaration of a Public Health Emergency.

The law prohibits “non-cooperation of persons and entities that should report and/or respond to notifiable diseases or health events of public concern.”

Penalties range from a fine from P20,000 to 50,000 or imprisonment from one to six months, or both, at the discretion of the court.

Nograles stressed in a mix of English and Filipino: “This is really a public health concern. We are in a state of calamity and patients are not allowed to lie or give misinformation.”

On Sunday, the IATF spokesperson said that the DOH and the Office of Civil Defense will enter into a data-sharing agreement that will strengthen contact tracing efforts.

Data privacy

Nograles explained that patients will only disclose their personal information to DOH. The Health department will then coordinate with local government units and law enforcement agencies for contact tracing.

“DOH must necessarily share the information with these enforcers but all mindful of the provisions under the Data Privacy Act,” Nograles added.

He said that they will “harmonize” the provisions of RA 11332 and Republic Act 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Philippine Medical Association and the Philippine College of Surgeons last week appealed to COVID-19 patients and Persons Under Investigation to waive their right to patient privacy to help in contact tracing efforts and stem the spread of the new coronavirus.

Guevarra also supported this call and said that this “will enable other people they have been in close contact with to take the necessary precautions or remedial measures to protect themselves, without having to burden the DOH with the tedious task of contact-tracing.”

The Philippines currently has 4,648 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Fatality is aat 297, while recoveries stand at 197.