Press Release
September 15, 2021

Dispatch from Crame No. 1149:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the Exodus of Healthcare Workers

9/15/21

It was recently reported that 20 of the 25 volunteer doctors in the PGH have decided not to renew their contracts. This is on top of the thousands of healthcare workers (HCWs) opting to work overseas. POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia revealed that only 900 slots remain from the 6,500 cap on HCW deployment for the year.

This is truly a frustrating development as our country continues to struggle to fight off COVID-19 and jumpstart our economy.

The only reasonable explanation here is neglect. While Duterte is out there approving bonuses and salary increases for soldiers and policemen, he has glaringly failed to do the same for our HCWs.

Bilyon ang budget na inilaan sa NTF-ELCAC samantalang sapilitan pa ang pagbabayad ng pinakasimpleng benepisyo ng ating mga HCW.

Simula pa lang, paulit-ulit na nating pinaalalahanan si Duterte na solusyong medikal ang kailangan natin, hindi solusyong militar. Subalit sa halip na tulungan at palakasin ang loob ng ating mga HCW, pagpapabaya pa ang sinukli ni Duterte sa kanilang kabayanihan.

Aanhin nila ang monumento na pinapagawa ni Duterte para sa kanilang kabayanihan kung nagugutom naman ang kanilang mga pamilya at kulang-kulang ang kanilang mga kagamitan, kasama na ang mga PPE?

Literal na nagbubuwis ng buhay ang ating mga medical frontliner samantalang kinukurakot ang pambili ng mga PPE at kakarampot ang kanilang mga benepisyo.

If more of our countrymen die of this pandemic, none other than Duterte should be held responsible. While our hospitals are being overrun with COVID-19 patients, he spends his time prancing around, hurling cheap insults against officials investigating his government for incompetence and corruption.

Duterte's continued ineptitude in handling our COVID-19 response and failure to provide the proper support to our healthcare system not only endangers our country but also holds back our recovery. 2022 couldn't come soon enough for our countrymen who continue to suffer Duterte's reign of incompetence and corruption. ###

(Access the handwritten version here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_from_crame_no._1149)

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