Philippines

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...