Israel Bactol – a Cardiologist at Philippine Heart Center, Metro Manila, Philippines – passed away on 21 March 2020 after suffering from COVID-19. Israel was 34 years old.
There is no doubt about Dr Israel Bactol’s brilliance. He was a consistent honor student since elementary school. He strived through college and medical school as a scholar. He served as chief resident during his internal medicine residency training. He was also diabetic.
His last achievement was to be among the select cardiology fellows-in-training of the Philippine Heart Center.
However, on March 21, the promising 34-year-old physician lost his fight against COVID-19, disease caused by the novel coronavirus which, to date, has not spared the lives of more than 50 in the Philippines, including medical frontliners.
“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.
After graduating from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and passing the Physician Licensure Exam in 2012, Bactol went to Occidental Mindoro, where he would serve as a doctor to the barrio for two years. It’s a second-class province in terms of income, with a population of less than half a million at the time.
His dedication to attend to the medical needs of financially-challenged patients did not end in Mindoro. Bactol, sleepless from at least a 32-hour duty, would also visit his patients at home because they cannot afford to go to the hospital.
He was generous not only of his time but also of his knowledge. “Doki” or “Doc B,” as he was fondly called by his colleagues at Premiere Medical Center, was a “walking medical dictionary,” said nurse Gelmark Olivares. He would answer their questions, guide them in treating patients, and mentor them with the growing knowledge he gets from constantly reading.
According to a Philippine Heart Center bulletin, Bactol did not come in direct contact with a COVID-19 patient. He was also not in the COVID ward.
His older brother Elijah Bactol said that he experienced body pains and was initially diagnosed with dengue. His condition worsened and he was brought to the intensive care unit on March 12. Just 9 days later, he passed away. His COVID test results came only two days before his death. He was also diabetic.
Source: Rappler