DOH hits attacks on health workers

HEALTH authorities expressed alarm on the number of reported harassment and discrimination incidents against frontline healthcare workers in hospitals.

In a statement posted on the official Facebook page of Department of Health in Davao Region (DOH-Davao), the agency condemned the attacks and physical assaults of their healthcare workers, fearing that they might be a carrier of coronavirus disease (Covid-19). There are also reports that they were deprived of the basic necessities such as public transport and laundry.

DOH said that they are coordinating with law enforcers to make those perpetrators accountable for their actions and to ensure the protection and safety of frontline workers.

“These acts cannot be tolerated. We are mobilizing our own personnel in efforts to ascertain more details and hold perpetrators of these attacks liable and reporting these incidents to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Covid-19 for proper investigation and resolution,” DOH said.

Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) chief of clinics and Health Emergency Management Bureau (HEMB) coordinator Dr. Ricardo Audan allayed the fears of the public and assured that extra precaution is being taken to ensure infection prevention and control. He said SPMC personnel adhere to proper wearing of personnel protective equipment (PPE) in the hospital and regular handwashing to avoid contamination.

He added that social distancing is being strictly observed with at least two-meter distance.