Rare disease but not ‘nakakahawa,’ sez Supt. Fama

A RANKING police officer of the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office, now recovering from a severe viral infection of the nerves, strongly deplored a giant television network that he had contracted a deadly contagious disease.

Police Supt. Harris Fama, who has served as police chief of several towns including Urdaneta City and Mangaldan and now the chief of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force, said a news statement of ABS-CBN television anchorperson Julius Babao over the morning program “Magandang Umaga Bayan” last Friday has put him and his family to shame and ridicule.

He branded Babao’s alleged reference to his sickness as “nakakahawa (contagious)” as unfounded and unfair.

Fama fell seriously ill, his condition turning worse since the first day he felt the symptoms. On March 23, he was diagnosed by Dr. Philip Oliva, neurologist of the Villaflor Doctors Hospital in Dagupan City as suffering from the Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare illness characterized by progressive weakness of the limbs and if untreated properly, sometimes progresses to paralysis, according to a medical research posted in the Internet.

Newly promoted as police superintendent this year, Fama had been with police operatives in the recent big anti-drug operation in Urdaneta City and some other places last month. He said a few days after he noticed a numbing of his hand. The following day, he could not move his arms, and shortly after, he found his legs would give way once he tried to get up and walk.

Fama quickly sought medical attention, first from a friend-doctor who advised him to see a neurologist.

“At no time during my medical consultation that this (GBS) was contagious,” he clarified during a radio interview as soon as he returned to Pangasinan to recuperate after a massive rapid treatment at St. Luke’s Hospital in Manila.

“I mean, if it was, as reported by Babao, a contagious disease, why should I in all conscience still be mingling with my family and risk their being infected too?” he asked radio anchorman Joey Ballesteros of DWPR who interviewed him to dispel the television anchorman’s allegations of his medical condition.

“I understand from the doctor that this is not hereditary or contagious,” Fama said in a text message to his reporter friends.

At one point, while he was undergoing treatment in Manila, it was reported he had died. This proved to be false as he clarified it was another police officer who exhibited almost similar symptom as his who died in Manila. It was not clear at presstime if the officer who died was diagnosed as GBS patient.

Fama said he is keeping his options open on possible filing of charges against ABS-CBN.