Dr Israel Bactol, a promising 34-year-old Cardiology Fellow working at the Philippine Heart Center (PHC), lost his fight against Covid-19, on March 21.
“I’ve been around many physicians. Everybody’s brilliant. But, every now and then, you come across a person who just separates himself from the crowd. That’s El,” Dr Tom-Louie Acosta told Rappler in an interview.
Acosta, an internist, is Bactol’s close friend and co-trainee from his 3-year residency at Premiere Medical Center in Cabanatuan City.
“You can’t help but gravitate towards him because he was such a beautiful person, on top of being a brilliant physician,” he added.
Bactol’s memory is etched in the hearts of his family, friends, fellow physcians, hospital colleagues, and patients coming from underserved communities.
Bactol, whose parents are both public school teachers in Peñaranda town in Nueva Ecija, believes that the medical profession should be in the service of the people.