Fil-Ams expressed concern for compatriots in hospital with Ebola patient

Electron micrograph of an Ebola virus virion. Image from CDC/Cynthia Goldsmith / Public Health Image Library / Wikimedia Commons.

MANILA – The Filipino-American community in Texas are concerned about the safety of the fellow Fil-Am staff at the Dallas hospital where a patient infected with Ebola is currently being treated in isolation.

“We are particularly concerned about the health and safety of the Filipino nurses, doctors, therapists and technicians working at the hospital,” said Ethel R. Mercado, honorary consul general in Dallas, Texas, in
a statement.

She added that there was “a large concentration” of Fil-Am healthcare providers working at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital and other medical institutions in the area of Dalla. Mercado is also the president of the Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce of Texas. She also s

Mercado said that they are closely monitoring the situation and they are in-touch with the Fil-Am staff as well as with the management of the hospital.

She also noted that while none of the Fil-Ams working at the hospital are at risk, there is still a need to be “vigilant and concerns for our many nurses and other hospital workers who may still be at risk.” She added that the hospital said that “it “employs extreme care, preventive measures and an abundance of caution” to protect the health of its staff.

“In the event that any Filipinos in the area are affected by the virus, the Philippine government and the Filipino community leaders in North Texas will stand ready to give rapid response and provide whatever support is needed for their families,” Mercado said.

To further spread the word about the health risk, they will launch a public information campaign in some Filipino communities in North Texas. This will be done in partnership with local, state, and national health officials.

Based on 2010 records, there are 137,713 Filipinos residing in Texas. About 20,000 are in Dallas and in surrounding communities in northern Texas.

Mercado acts as the as honorary consul general since February under the supervision of the Philippine consulate in Los Angeles, California.