Doctor advising IATF vs. COVID-19 on Duterte saying health workers who died were fortunate: 'Terrible'

President Rodrigo Duterte’s comments on health workers being fortunate to die for the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic is a terrible thing to say, an infectious disease physician said Wednesday. 

Dr. Edsel Salvana, part of the Technical Advisory Group for the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases, was responding to Duterte’s comments which went: "May doktor, mga nurses namatay. Sila 'yong nasawi ang buhay para lang makatulong sa kapwa. Napakasuwerte nila. Namatay sila para sa bayan. Iyon ang dapat rason na bakit tayo mamatay.”

“Terrible [statement]. It’s not right. Many of my friends and colleagues are dead and I miss them very much,” Salvana said in a statement.

“I would rather not have me or my friends die. I already know they are heroes. Please let me grieve,” Salvana added. 

Prior to Duterte’s comments, Salvana called on the public to protect health workers amid reports that there are frontliners being discriminated upon by the community over fears that these health workers are carriers of COVID-19. 

“In our zeal to protect the many, we must be careful not to trample on the rights of people who have already been victims of COVID-19. Especially healthcare workers,” Salvana said.

“These are fellow human beings who have already suffered. Treating them like caged animals is not okay. Be kind,” Salvana added.

There are at least 17 doctors who have died due to COVID-19, according to the Philippine Medical Association.

As of 4 p.m. on March 31, the Philippines has recorded 2,084 COVID-19 cases as more tests are being done. Of this number, 88 have died while 49 others recovered.

READ: COVID-19 Dashboard: Summary of Cases in the Philippines

—KG, GMA News