Search

The Virus of Ignorance

Aug 22, 2020
3 min read

by Mariella Cruz

Out of the country's 174,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), around 19% of them are medical frontliners. Undoubtedly, our frontliners are the most vital individuals in the situation we are in. Especially our healthcare workers who are in direct contact with the virus everyday. While they are tired, terrified, and fighting for the lives of thousands of Filipinos, it is obvious that they are doing enough for the country, but is the country doing enough for them?

In April, a survey conducted by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers and the Alliance of Health Workers looked into the situations of 457 healthcare workers. More than 50% of respondents wrote that their facilities “do not meet even half of what they perceive as the adequate number of health personnel and the sufficient number of infection, prevention and control (IPC) supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE).” While two-thirds of the respondents spoke up on how their health facilities were understaffed, with a lack of doctors, nurses, and utility personnel.

On top of problems in their place of work, frontliners also face discrimination in their communities. Many healthcare workers have reported not being allowed to enter eateries, barangays, and sometimes even their own home. One Sta. Ana nurse said that people have begun to see them as the living virus. Other nurses from the hospital also mentioned it is hard not to feel disheartened. Though they are giving patients another chance to see their family after being infected, they themselves have limited their interactions with their families to video calls.

Evidently, the way people treat frontliners, may be a reflection of how the government addresses them. Medical experts have mentioned the discontinuation of rapid tests because they are not the right tests to identify the virus. However, Malacañang continues to defend the use of it, with Presidential Spokesperson, Harry Roque saying the doctor recommended reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PRC) test has more false positives. The current consensus among medical experts is that the RT-PRC tests have a 100% accuracy when done properly, while the rapid tests have an accuracy rate of 30%.

Furthermore, at the start of the month, when over 80 medical groups released an open letter calling for improvements in the pandemic response, they were met with criticisms for taking their concerns out in public and even accusations of trying to start a revolution. President Duterte had said in response "you should do the soul-searching, not us. Kayo, makatulong sana. Wala kayong ginagawa kung ’di magreklamo." Even when healthcare workers are working hard behind the scenes, when people see news like that, what would they think if not the same words the president uttered.

Nonetheless, despite being chastised and disbelieved, healthcare workers stay working. They do their job, despite the treatment they receive. They work almost eight to 12 hours a day, in the heat of layers they desperately hope would protect them. They are frontliners in the direct line of fire of the virus, they deserve more than they are given. How will that happen? Now, people have to take actions into their own hands. We donate PPEs and supplies and sign petitions for change. But most importantly, we say thank you. We show gratitude to our frontliners because we know how not to treat them. If change cannot happen in the policies, let change happen in the people.