Duque asks nurses, doctors to respond to gov’t need for more health workers

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Saturday renewed his appeal to nurses and doctors to heed the government’s call for more COVID-19 medical frontliners as surges in cases were recorded in various parts of the country.

In a Dobol B TV interview, Duque said the Department of Health (DOH) has faced difficulties in finding applicants for its emergency hiring program. Some registered nurses and doctors are looking for greener pastures abroad or in other non-medical professions while some are afraid of contracting COVID-19, he said.

“Hindi mo naman masisisi dahil merong pangamba pero ako ay nakikiusap sa kanila sa panahong ito, wala naman pong ibang magtutulungan kundi tayo-tayong mga Pilipino,” he said.

(We cannot blame them for having fears but we are appealing to them that at this time of health crisis, we have no choice but to help each other out.)

“Tayong mga nurse, mga doktor, alam naman natin na ang trabaho natin e mangalaga ng pasyente. Kung iilag tayo sa ganoong trabaho, bakit tayo nagpaka-nurse, nagpaka-doktor kung sa bandang huli pala ay manlalambot tayo at 'di natin kakayanin? ‘Di ba?” he added.

(We, the nurses and the doctors, know that our main job is to take care of patients. If we are going to refuse this kind of job, then why did we take this profession if we will not respond to our country’s needs?)

Duque assured nurses that personal protective equipment and other necessary tools are provided by the DOH all over the country to ensure the patients and the medical frontliners’ protection against COVID-19.

He added that the central office has already downloaded funds to DOH regional offices for the emergency hiring program.

As early as April, the DOH has been appealing to nurses and doctors to join the government’s health workforce.

The DOH said there are enough funds for the employment of additional manpower. However, only a few health workers were “heeding the call.”

On Friday, the Philippines reported 6,686 new infections, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 1,300,349. —KG, GMA News