DOH looking into grievances of frontliner health care workers, hospitals

The Department of Health (DOH) is coordinating with healthcare workers and hospitals to address issues on overwhelmed facilities and overworked employees amid the pandemic crisis.

In a press conference, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Secretary Francisco Duque III instructed its finance team to assess the needs of concerned health facilities.

“Patuloy pa rin ang dialogue. Saka talagang sinisiguro natin ngayon na ‘yung mga pangangailangan ng ating healthcare workers ay natutugunan ng kanilang hospital. Tinitignan natin 'yan ngayon,” she said.

Vergeire added that Duque is encouraging continuous talks between the healthcare workers and hospital administrators.

“These continuous dialogues between the management and the workers were reiterated by the Secretary para naman magkaayos ayos sila within their hospitals,” she said.

On Sunday, nurses’ group Filipino Nurses United (FNU) lamented that there have been almost no changes made to protect health workers against COVID-19 in the workplace since the pandemic started.

FNU president Maristela Abenojar said some nurses work 12-hour shifts, attend to as many as 12 patients, and have resorted to buying their own personal protective equipment (PPE).

Recently, several nurses of the San Lazaro Hospital held a silent protest by laying down their shoes in front of the hospital.

The frontliners demanded sufficient supply of PPEs and asked the hospital to give their salaries during their mandatory 14-day quarantine.—AOL, GMA News