Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), has ordered a thorough investigation on the death of a police physician due to inhalation of toxic chemicals from the disinfectant being sprayed on police personnel manning the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City, which serves as a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) treatment facility.
PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said that Gamboa has tasked the leadership of the PNP Health Service to look into all the circumstances that led to the death of Dr. Casey Gutierrez, a lateral entrant with a rank of Captain.
“There could be negligence in the handling of these toxic chemicals. The Chief PNP wants to know what really happened and he does not want the repeat of this unfortunate incident,” Banac said in an interview.
Part of the investigation, according to Banac, is the possible accountability of those liable for the incident that led to the death of Capt. Gutierrez.
The 31-year old Gutierrez experienced difficulty in breathing while undergoing the decontamination protocol at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City, one of the two PNP-manned COVID treatment facilities aside from the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), on the night of March 24.
He was immediately taken to the PNP General Hospital but had to be transferred to the Lung Center of the Philippines due to his worsening condition.
On May 30, Gutierrez died.
TWO MORE COPS
A police report disclosed that two days after the death of Dr. Gutierrez, two more policemen suffered difficulty in breathing after undergoing decontamination process also at the PhilSports Arena.
The report revealed that the incident happened at around 3 p.m. after the two cops, with a rank of Corporal and Patrolman, completed their task of swabbing COVID-19 patients.
The two cops were immediately taken to the PNP General Hospital and are still under monitoring.
DISINFECTANT
The PNP is mum as to where they get the supplies of the disinfectant solution.
But a police report disclosed that the preparation for the disinfectant solution is being made by personnel of the PNP Health Service and the personnel of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) unit of the PNP.
Banac said that Gamboa wanted to know if there was negligence in the preparation of the disinfectant solution, noting that only two incidents were reported ever since the PNP manned the facility at PhilSports Arena.
“We are waiting for the investigation result of the PNP Health Service regarding this matter,” said Banac. (Aaron Recuenco)