MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday said the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRMMC) will be investigating the death of its health worker Judyn Bonn Suerte who died due to COVID-19.

Suerte’s co-workers held a protest on Monday to denounce his death.

The JRMMC Employees Union said Suerte could have been saved if he was immediately treated at the hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila were they work instead of being brought to the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in Caloocan City where he died.

In a statement, the union said it was a major negligence of hospital management.

The DOH said JRRMMC Medical Chief Dr. Emmanuel Montaña has already created an investigative body to look into the death of Suerte.

“However, the report may only be available next week as the Hospital Personnel Order has just been released,” the agency said.

The DOH also quoted Montaña as saying that they might have difficulty investigating this week because there are still a number of health workers in their hospital who tested positive for COVID-19.

As of August 3, there have been 5,153 health workers with COVID-19 in the Philippines. Of those, 422 are still active cases — still in hospitals or under home quarantine.

The DOH said it will release its recalibrated strategies on managing COVID-19 in hospitals as soon as it works with medical societies.

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