WHEN COVID-19 hit the Philippines three years ago, no one was prepared for just how disastrous its impact would be. 

Suddenly it seemed a death wish to go outside, speak to one another, or even breathe, lest you contract COVID and bring it home to your entire family. 

At the start of this pandemic, people knew nothing about what they were meant to do, or how they were supposed to keep themselves safe. It was then that the country’s health workers – the doctors and nurses and staff in hospitals risking their lives daily just to keep everyone safe from harm – started to step up. 

Isolated and overworked, these people sacrificed a lot just to help people, giving up days they could have spent with their families to save others from suffering from this new disease. 

Now, as the pandemic has eased, it appears many have moved on quickly from giving these workers the thanks and appreciation that they deserve. Those who were once deemed the heroes of the pandemic seem to have been forgotten just as quickly as they have been praised. 

Today, republicasia would like to give the spotlight to these workers who are still essential even today, who are working as hard as they can despite all the challenges that may exist in the Philippines’ health system.

All the work for little appreciation

The country’s nurses, doctors, and other hospital workers were the heroes of the pandemic, but they did not always get the appreciation and help they deserved. 

33-year-old Vicky*, a surgical resident, was tasked with doing rounds on post-operative and toxic patients in her department at the height of the health crisis. She would go on duty every other day for a week, only ever getting one week off; the rest of her days were allotted to fulfilling her tasks. 

During this time, she recalled that the biggest struggles she faced were the lack of manpower in the hospital and the inability to see her family members.

In her department, there were a total of 15 residents, and they arranged their shifts to make sure there would always be somebody on duty in case any of them got infected. 

“Normally the whole group of residents would go on duty every three days, with five people in the duty group, but because we could not afford to get sick, we divided the 15 residents into two groups to go on duty for one week [while] the other would be off-duty,” she recalled.

The one week they are off duty was considered the time for them to isolate should any of them contract the disease while working. 

During this hectic time of tiringly cycling through the same 15 people over and over again, Vicky was rarely ever able to see her family, because she feared that she’d pass COVID onto them, or that they’d do the same to her. 

She was also afraid of getting infected because of the stigma that would come with it. 

“Doctors who get COVID are looked down on and are believed to have contracted [it] from being careless,” she said, even though those in her department were tasked with dealing with patients directly.

In her world, they were still blamed for contracting the disease, because supposedly they were meant to have their PPE as protection. 

She added: “If we get sick, it [was] our fault. Super shunned kami. That was the worst.”

She also recalled that as a so-called reward for their deeds, her consultants would feed them with a number of meals, and would also give them the latest equipment. Masks, for example, were often a giveaway in the office.

While one can say that these actions were done out of kindness, Vicky believes that it was because if ever the resident population were to be wiped out, only the consultants would be left to fill their duties.

During these trying times, Vicky said the one thing that kept her going was the hope that one day, all of it would be over. She also knew that there was no stopping because everyone was relying on her and her fellow nurses.

“All eyes were on us, [so] we had to do our best,” she said. 

Vicky was just one of the health workers who struggled during the pandemic. Many more have detailed the brutal working conditions they have had to deal with in the past few years. 

Robert Mendoza, the President of the Alliance of Health Workers, earlier said health workers had gotten sick, died, or chose to resign because of the lack of care the government has shown in responding to their needs. 

And no one can blame them for wanting to walk away, especially those who have their families to think about, not just themselves.  

Many reports also detailed how other health workers had to leave after getting little to no support from the hospital and having their salaries delayed. Others had a hard time finding lodging because of the fear associated with the disease, or finding a means to get home because of the public transportation restrictions during the early days of the pandemic. 

More challenges

One of the biggest complaints from health workers during the pandemic was the delay in their benefits. Because of the risks they face, they were entitled to a COVID-19 Allowance. 

Health workers’ groups have stressed the importance of this allowance for them since they face the threat of COVID-19 on a daily basis. However, getting this has been a struggle. 

Since then, members of the government have made promises to address these concerns as soon as possible. 

Newly appointed Health Secretary Ted Herbosa, for example, stated that he planned to address these delays and would make sure that everyone who worked during these times would be given their due benefits. 

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also promised during his second State of the Nation Address. that he would distribute these pending allowances and benefits 

But it’s not only the delay in the release of benefits that has made things hard for health workers.

Cuts in the health budget had adversely affected them as well. 

Back in 2022, health workers complained that funding for public hospitals had been slashed. This budget cut meant a reduced budget for personnel. 

The Alliance of Health Workers had described this as the total abandonment of the government of the people’s right to healthcare.

The same concerns arose when the proposed health budget for 2023 was released and showed cuts in the budget for government hospitals. 

As simple as saying thank you

Even though things seem to have gone back to normal and pandemic restrictions have been lifted, it’s important to remember what happened at the start of the health crisis– how lost everyone once was without the guidance of the country’s health workers.

They were the ones who taught people the importance of washing their hands, the ones who showed people how to use COVID-19 testing kits when they first rolled out, the ones who gently coached those getting vaccines despite the fear of many in the sting of their needles. 

Through thick and thin, health workers have been there for Filipinos, and all they have asked for in return is to be treated humanely. Yet even that is not always given to them. 

Now more than ever, it’s important to join the fight and voice out the importance of recognizing the rights and addressing the concerns of the country’s health workers. 

Time and time again, the government has shown what can only be described as an inability to prioritize their needs. 

It’s no wonder, then, why so many of them want to leave the country – why the Philippines has had a shortage of over 350,000 nurses thus far.

If this treatment continues, there may no longer be any heroes to praise. Something in this system needs to change quickly before it’s too late.

* Vicky has asked that her real name not be used in this article and has been changed for privacy reasons.