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The Department of Health (DoH) has ensured that patient privacy remains paramount in the response to the country’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
The department came out with security after an alleged list of positive patients circulated on social media.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Department of Health said that while the provisions of the Republic Law 11332, or the “Law of Mandatory Notification of Notifiable Diseases and Events of Public Health Concern,” allowed the authorities to access to personal information for an effective Covid-19 response, also required them to guarantee patient privacy and the confidentiality of the information provided to them.
“Relevant information should only be shared with interested public health authorities that are aware of their duty to maintain data privacy,” he added.
The department also noted that there was a Joint Circular Memorandum with the National Privacy Commission (NPC) titled Privacy Guidelines on the Processing and Disclosure of Data Related to Covid-19 for Disease Surveillance and Response.
The memorandum stipulates that only DoH healthcare providers, public health authorities and partner agencies and their authorized personnel can access the personal health records of Covid-19 patients or their identified close contacts.
The DoH has urged its partner agencies and local government units to adhere to the guidelines on data privacy and detection so as not to cause undue discrimination or physical harm or distress.
He also reminded the public to stop sharing the lists on social media to avoid spreading the stigma surrounding Covid-19 survivors.
“Our kababayan (compatriots) are going through enough already, let’s not make their situation worse. Let’s be responsible with the information we share. Covid-19 is not a death sentence and fear is more dangerous than disease, “the department said.
On Sunday, the country registered 4,284 new Covid cases to bring the total to 217,396.
