Philippine police raid illicit hospital for virus patients

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine police raided a clandestine hospital and drugstore that was secretly treating Chinese nationals suspected of being infected with the coronavirus, police officials said Wednesday.

Two people were arrested and one patient was found during Tuesday's raid at the residential villa that had been illegally turned into a seven-bed hospital and drug store, Police Brig. Gen. Rhoderick Armamento said.

More than 200 suspected coronavirus rapid test kits and syringes were recovered in trash cans at the villa, which has a small canteen with stacks of beer cases at the lobby entrance where a red sign welcomed visitors with well wishes in Chinese. The hospital and drugstore are in a large room by the swimming pool at the back of the compound, according to Armamento and a police video.

The Chinese male patient was moved to a Philippine hospital. Those arrested were the Chinese administrator of the hospital, which may have been operating secretly for about three months, and a compatriot who manned the drugstore, he said.

“They have practiced medicine and prescribed drug without license,” Armamento told The Associated Press by telephone Wednesday. “The Chinese patients who were brought there may still be walking around in public and can infect other people.”

Police put the residential compound under surveillance after receiving a complaint that a person infected with the coronavirus was being treated there. They coordinated with Department of Health and Food and Drug Administration officials prior to the raid, a police report said.

Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, who heads a national police force enforcing quarantine restrictions, told AP that the illegal hospital and drugstore could endanger patients instead of saving them because they do not conform with government health...