By Genalyn Kabiling and Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz The government is looking for health workers who can serve at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) after about 43 of its personnel contracted the coronavirus. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles announced the search for "healthy" medical workers to help augment the workforce at the RITM, the country's main testing facility for the coronavirus. "But just like to assure the public that their—iyong pag-limit ng operation or pag-downscale ng operation ng RITM (the limited or scaled down operation of RITM) is temporary," Nograles said during a virtual press conference Tuesday. "We need to find health workers who are healthy, obviously not infected, who can come in to the RITM so that we can ensure that the RITM goes back to normal operations," he added. With the limited operations of RITM, Nograles said 17 other subnational laboratories would continue the testing of probable and suspect coronavirus patients. "The backlog will be resolved through the 17 subnational laboratories that are operating right now," he said. Around 43 health workers at the RITM have reportedly been infected with the new coronavirus disease, prompting the downsizing of operations for decontamination efforts. The RITM is expected to return to normal operation on Saturday. Nograles said the RITM personnel who tested positive for the coronavirus would be given proper medical attention. "We’re taking care of the health of these health workers and nursing them to full health," he said. "That just goes to show how dangerous, kaya nga hindi puwede bastabasta na lang tayo mag-accredit ng laboratory because again the exposure, exposure to the COVID-19 virus is too great," he said. Doctors, nurses needed at PGH The state-run University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) is also in need of doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff who will be detailed at its COVID-19 referral center. Those who will be hired will work for a minimum of three months with the following pay rate: physician (P59,353-P75,359), nurse (P32,053), medical technologist (P32,053), respiratory therapist (P29,277), radiologic technologist (P32,053), mechanical equipment technician (P22,316), nurse attendant (P15,524), ambulance driver (P13,807), administrative assistant (P17,505) As of April 21, there are 129 patients at the PGH COVID-19 Referral Center. Of these, 108 are COVID-19-positive, four are probable case, and 17 are suspect cases for COVID-19.