Philippines concerned over number of health workers getting COVID-19

The Department of Health on Friday expressed alarm over the continued increase in the number of health workers who get infected with COVID-19.

DOH spokesperson Health Undersecretary Mario Rosario Vergeire said the country  might suffer a shortage of health workers if the trend would continue.

As of Thursday, a total of 1,694 health care workers have tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This number is almost 20 percent of the country's confirmed cases which stood at 8,488 as of April 30.

The countrys confirmed case reached 8,772 on Friday.

"Halos isa sa bawat limang nakatalang kaso ng COVID-19 ay health care worker. Ito ay nakakalungkot sapagkat kung magpapatuloy ang ganitong trend, maaring dumating ang panahon na magkulang na ang nag-aalaga sa ating mga pasyente," Vergeire said in a live briefing.

"Regular naman po'ng nagpapaalala ang DOH sa ating mga ospital, pang-publiko man o pribado, na palagiang i-check ang inbentaryo ng kanilang PPEs," she added.

The undersecretary assured the public that the DOH was on top of the situation.

"Umaasa po kayo na ang inyong DOH ay laging babantayan at aalagaan ang ating mga dakilang manggagawang pangkalusugan. 'Yan po ang pangako namin sa inyong lahat ngayong Araw ng Pagawa," Vergeire said.

According to the DOH, 566 of the infected healthworkers are physicians or doctors, 638 are nurses, 104 are nursing assistants, 66 are medical technologists, 32 are radiologic technologists, 18 are respiratory therapists, 19 are midwives, 14 are pharmacists, and 237 others.

Vergeire said that 65 personnel at the National Center for Mental Health are confirmed positive for the virus. Of these, 36 are quarantined and three have recovered.

At the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, 45 personnel area confirmed cases, 38 recoveries, and seven quarantined cases while there are nine confirmed cases at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute with one recovery.

Public hospitals such as the  Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center, East Avenue Medical Center, Mandaluyong City Medical Center, Tondo Medical Center, Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, Rizal Medical Center, Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, at Baguio General Hospital have also reported COVID-positive personnel, according to Vergeire.

"Muli po natin binibigyan diin na ang ating health care workers ang mga bagong bayani sa digmaan kontra COVID, at ginagawa po natin ang lahat upang sila ay maprotektahan at mabigyan kaligtasan," she said.

Meanwhile, 256 health care workers have recovered from the virus with 33 fatalities composed of 24 doctors or physicians and seven nurses.

"Kami po ay taus-pusong nakikiramay sa mga pamilya at kaibigan ng mga yumaong bayani natin. Ipagpatuloy po natin ang laban nila at gagawin ang lahat ng aming makakaya upang hindi na mangyari ito," Vergeire said. -NB, GMA News