Group extends support for abused nurse in video

Liezel Sewane, the nurse in a viral video that was verbally and physically abused by a patient and her relatives, has the full support of the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) in her quest to get justice.

PNA-Cebu Chapter President Dr. Joseph Stephen Descallar said they will fully support Sewane in this incident.

"Naa ra mi sa iyaha, gabantay. We're in close coordination with the chief nurses of the hospital to monitor her status. I'm very saddened and very shocked the way they treat our nurses, we deserve pud unta ba to be respected and dili ingon anaon pag tratar,” he said.

"Looy kaayo ang mga nurses unya ingon anaon pa pag-treat. Underpaid na, unya overworked pa," he added.

Sewane, in an interview, expressed her gratitude to PNA for expressing their support and extending assistance to her.

"Nigaan-gaan gyod akong paminaw nga naay ni-assure nga motabang nako," she said.

The PNA conducted a meeting with Sewane and the hospital's chief nurse to know the whole story.

"Nag-assess sila ug unsa gyo'y nahitabo atong adlawa. Mag-meeting pa mi ugma sa akong abogado and dili lang sa kaayo ko pa-estoryahon about sa incident," she said.

Sewane is presently onleave and her schedule has been adjusted for security purposes.

In the video, a lady patient was seen ranting at Sewane about her dissatisfaction of the hospital's service.

Not long after, a man went to Sewane and grabbed her identification card.

The video has now reached almost a million views and has over 8,000 sad and angry reactions.

Netizen Jacques Abella, who was able to watch the video and is working as a nurse in one of the Cebu City hospitals, expressed disappointment about the incident.

"What happened in Balamban was way out of bounds gyud. The patient and (relatives) had no right to hurt the nurse physically. It was an unfortunate event and it just goes to show how some people view us, nurses," he said.

Descallar also hopes the government will also look at the welfare of the nurses, and not just those men in uniform.

"At this point in time, ang gusto lang gyod namo ipaabot sa government is seryosohon na unta na nila ang ratio of the patients and nurses in the hospital, (and also) the salary of the nurses because sooner or later kung dili ni nila lihokon, wala nay nurse nga mahibilin sa hospital (sa Pilipinas)," Descallar said.