Road crash kills frontliner

A community doctor in Manila was killed in a road crash Thursday, the Manila City Health Department announced.

Dr. Maria Teresa Ballat Dajao was fatally hit by a truck while riding her bike on her way home from work, a close family friend of the victim told the frontliner group FYT.

“She died with her boots on,” Yeshah Grace Cuarteros said.

“Nakakalungkot man isipin pero wala na si Doktora. Another frontliner na nawala hindi man sa sakit na COVID-19 kundi dahil sa pagod at pag-aaruga sa lahat ng pasyente sa center. Kaya pagod na siya pag-uwi na naka-bike at naaksidente,” Cuarteros said in a tribute to her family’s doctor.

“She recommended the best OB-gyne for my first pregnancy…Sobrang nakakabigla ‘yung pagkawala ni Doc kaya napaluha po ako,” she said in a phone interview.

Dajao was a Medical Officer IV of the Manila Health Department. She served as the physician-in-charge of Kahilum Health Center in Pandacan district in Manila.

“Dra. Bajao, with her significant contributions providing higher standard of health care services to the Manilans will be sorely missed by her colleagues and friends,” Manila Health Department acting head officer Dr. Arnold Pangan said in a statement.

Dajao was also recently assigned to Del Pan Health Center to be a COVID-19 frontliner.

“That’s why she ordered PPEs (to prepare for her new assignment). But she wasn’t able to use it,” Rosario Guzman, a Manila Science High School batchmate of the late doctor, told FYT.

“I don’t know how else this doctor should die, but I pray that we make ourselves deserve her death,” Guzman said in a tribute to her batchmate .

Dajao was born in Manila on 16 December 1966. She obtained her BA Psychology degree at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and her Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health degrees from Fatima College of Medicine and University of the Philippines Manila, respectively.

Alou Casas Derla of Pandacan told FYT that he will remember Dajao not only as a dedicated health worker but also as a “doctor who loved cats.”

For her service and sacrifice, FYT is adding Dr. Maria Teresa Ballat Dajao to our WALL OF FYTERS AND HEROES: https://www.facebook.com/fyt.ph/posts/1182842505393369 | #FytCOVID19

p: wjg