A lawmaker on Wednesday asked the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and appropriate compensation for fresh medical graduates who will be deployed in Central Visayas to assist in the government’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rep. Ronnie Ong of the Ang Probinsyano, in a news statement, said although these medical graduates are considered as “greenhorns” in the medical field, they do not deserve to be treated like one when they become part of the elite army of medical frontliners who are putting their lives on the line to help their fellow men.
He said that they do not deserve the measly P500 a day, below-the-minimum-wage rate previously offered to Covid-19 medical frontliners and should be compensated based on the pay grade of their regular counterparts.
Ong said the DOH should stop “penny-pinching” when it comes to the well-being and welfare of the medical frontliners, especially now that there is obviously a shortage of people who are willing to put their lives on the line without any proportionate compensation.
He added that the DOH should also make sure that they have enough PPEs for these new nurses, medical technologists and hospital support technicians who would volunteer as medical frontliners.
Ong said the DOH’s reckless disregard for the safety and well-being of the hundreds of doctors, nurses, medical technologists and other hospital supports personnel caused their untimely and unnecessary demise.
Since the Covid outbreak until May, the lawmaker said it is estimated that that are more than 2,300 medical personnel who have died largely due to virus infection.
Apart from PPEs, he said, the DOH should also make sure that these new recruits should also undergo regular swab tests and they are housed in comfortable quarantine facilities.
“They are our heroes and they are not just ordinary sweatshop workers. We should give them all the protection and the support that they need so they can continue helping us in defeating this Covid virus,” Ong said.