IN the current war against COVID-19, our frontline forces are the health workers – doctors, nurses, medical technologists, radiologic technologists, caregivers, and maintenance staff of health facilities.
Given the nature of the novel coronavirus, particularly on how it is transmitted from person to person, our health workers are literally putting their lives at stake as they come in close contact with those infected.
Even with knowledge, training, and equipment on how to protect themselves, the risks they take are still substantial.
Our health workers are real heroes in this COVID-19 war because they risk their lives not just to save those who are infected by the virus but also to prevent the spread of the same.
With the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, the heroism of our health workers is highlighted by their resolve to perform their role even if it means enduring difficulties to hurdle constraints like the absence of mass transportation that will bring them from their homes to medical facilities.
During the first day of enhanced community quarantine, one nurse was featured in a news report. Even faced with the dilemma of having no available mass transportation that she can use to reach her hospital in Manila from Quezon City, she refused to even consider the option of not reporting for work. What is truly admirable about this nurse is her commitment to her sworn duty to save lives. This is clearly the same commitment that of all the other health workers who choose to be in the frontline despite the risks to their own lives.
We also need to commend the national and local governments, as well as some private organizations, for swiftly acting to address the logistical difficulties of these heroes. The provision of shuttle service for health workers from their homes to medical facilities is the least the government can do. It is also admirable for some hotels to offer their facilities for the free use of health workers. Some private individuals, groups, and organizations show their support to our health workers by providing food and other material needs such as masks and other protective equipment.
These health workers are in the war front line fighting COVID-19 and they are fighting for all of us.
They are heroes and we should all treat and regard them as heroes. We need to support them. At this time, the best support we could and should give them is to strictly follow the enhanced community quarantine protocols. We should not add to the already heavy load of our heroes. We should not be additional lives that they need to save.
