DOH saddened as more healthcare workers positive for COVID-19

May 1, 2020

More healthcare workers are testing positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

On Friday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said there are  a total of 1,694 healthcare workers out of the 8,772 COVID-19 cases in the country, or 19.3 percent.

"Almost one in every five COVID-19 case is a healthcare worker. This is very saddening," said Vergeire.

On April 21, the World Health Organization said it was worried by the 13 percent reported by the Philippines on how many healthcare workers who test positive for COVID-19.

"The worrisome trend we see is in the Philippines, where the percentage is 13 percent. It is very worrisome," said WHO Western Pacific COVID-19 Incident Manager Abdi Mahamud.

Vergeire said they are worried that if such a trend continues, the number of medical frontliners would be reduced.

"If the trend continues, we may come to a point that we would be lacking individuals to take care of our patients," said Vergeire.

Of the total number of healthcare workers affected by COV-19,  638 are nurses, 566 are doctors, 104 are nursing assistants, 66 are medical technologists, 32 are radiologic technologists, 19 are midwives, 18 are respiratory therapists, and 14 pharmacists.

The remaining 237 are composed of barangay health workers, administrative aides, and utility workers.

A total of 33 healthcare workers died, including 24 doctors and seven nurses.

Some 256 healthcare workers have been able to recover from COVID-19.

The National Center for Mental Health had the most number of COVID-19-hit frontliners with 65. The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, the country's main laboratory, had 45. DMS