MANILA, Philippines — Amid the threat of the novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease or 2019-nCoV ARD, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Monday that the Philippines is not a country with a weak healthcare system.

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus a global health emergency and said it is concerned with how other countries with weak healthcare systems are dealing with the situation.

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In an interview on DZMM, Duque said he does not think that the Philippines is one of those countries being referred to by WHO.

“Hindi. Palagay ko ang binabanggit nila diyan tingin ko Africa, mga mahihirap na mga bansa,” he said when asked if he thinks the country has a weak healthcare system.

(No. I think they are referring to Africa, countries that are poor.)

“‘Yung sinasabi nila, ‘yung weak health system ‘yung mga talagang mahihirap na bansa. ‘Yun ang mga tinutukoy nila na weak health system na mahirap, mga developing third world countries, eh tayo middle-income country na tayo. Hindi tayo kasama diyan,” he added.

(The countries that have weak healthcare systems are those that are really poor. They are referring to third world countries. We are in a middle-income country. We are not included there.)

Local health officials earlier confirmed the death on Saturday of a 44-year-old Chinese man who traveled to the Philippines from Wuhan, China through Hong Kong.

He was the partner of the country’s first confirmed nCoV case—a 38-year-old Chinese woman who, along with the fatality, traveled to Cebu and Dumaguete before being admitted at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila.

GSG

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What you need to know about Coronavirus.

For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.

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