The Department of Health (DOH) persuade the public not to discriminate and turn their backs on health workers who are in the frontlines in t battle against the COVID-19.

This is after a report that some hospital workers in Iloilo City were banned in their boarding houses and own barangays due to their exposure to the virus.

According to Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire, the DOH has already relayed this report to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases for the investigation of the concerned government agencies and to provide a solution to the matter.

Vergeire said on the televised briefing, “Hindi po ito ang panahon para talikuran natin ang ating mga healthcare workers. Kami po ay nakikiusap sa ating sambayanan. Kami po ay nakikiusap sa mga kapwa Pillipino, na sana kandiliin po natin ang ating healthcare workers. Alagaan po natin sila. ‘Pag nagkasakit po tayo sila po ang mag-aalaga sa atin,”

-This is not the time to turn our backs from our healthcare workers. We are appealing to the public, to our fellow Filipinos to show kindness to our healthcare workers. Let us take care of them. If we get sick, they will be the ones to take care of us.-

Vergeire also said that health workers are observing protective measures for them to not contract the disease when they are treating confirmed cases or patients under investigation (PUIs).

She also called on the local government units in areas where discrimination happens to provide shelter to health workers.

Frontliners such as Doctors, nurses, and other health workers have been in working to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected more than 386,960 people worldwide and killed more than 16,750.

Currently, in the Philippines, 552 people have so far been found positive for COVID-19, which includes the 35 people who already died from the disease.

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