A medical doctor has called on the Departments of Transportation (DOTr), Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to work with healthworkers for a more strategic response to the coronavirus disease.

Dr. Antonio Dans of the Philippine College of Physicians and the Philippine Society of General Internal Medicine urged the government agencies to work with the medical society to ensure people's safety in the workplace and when using public transportation to curb the spread of the virus.

"Kailangan namin makausap yung DOTr kasi isa pa ring lugar ng pagkalat ng infection yung pagsakay sa public vehicles. Sayang lang ang time out na ito o MECQ kung di tayo kikilos. Hindi kami kinakausap ng DOTr kaya nananawagan kami sa DOTr at saka MMDA. (We need to talk to the DOTr because riding in public vehicles is still one of the places where infection can spread easily. This time out or modified enhanced community quarantine would only be put to waste if we do not act together. The DOTr has not yet talked to us, so we call on the DOTr, as well as the MMDA (to look into these pressing matters together)," Dans said in a DZBB interview.

He also appealed to DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan to ensure a fast and reliable internet connectivity for the immediate and clear communication of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and other pertinent data and information to the barangays, municipal and city governments, provincial and national governments, and hospitals.

"Sana kausapin naman kami para maibahagi namin yung importansya ng internet connection. (I hope they can talk to us so that we can share the importance of internet connection)," Dans added.

"Ayusin natin yung (concerns sa) DOTR, MMDA, DICT, at lahat ng ibang problema. Yung DOLE dapat kasami rin dahil sa workplace dun din kumakalat ang disease. (Let's fix the concerns with the DOTR, MMDA, DICT, and all the other problems. The DOLE should also be included because the disease also spreads in the workplace)," he said.

He said the medical groups are glad that Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque, COVID-19 task force chief implementer Carlito Galvez, and deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon have been consulting and discussing with them on what testing is effective for COVID-19.

"Kami ang last line of defense. Malapit na mapuno yung hospitals sana magkapit-bisig tayo para iwasan na mapuno ang hospitals dahil pag napuno na yan napakahirap ng buhay ng mga tao. Ang pinaka apektado yung mahihirap. (We are the last line of defense. The hospitals will soon be full, I hope we will join hands to avoid filling the hospitals because once that is full, people's lives will be very difficult, (and) the most affected are the poor," Dans added.

He reiterated that the doctors are not asking to take a rest.

"Sinasabi namin dapat hindi kami napapagod kasi kung napapagod kami ibig sabihin may nangyayari sa labas, may mali, may kailangan baguhin so yung panawagan namin hindi para magpahinga. Ang panawagan namin let's do something about it ayusin natin kasi napupuno na ang ospital. (We are saying, we should not be getting tired because if we get tired it means something is happening outside, something is wrong, something needs to be changed so our call is not to rest. Our call is to do something about it. Let's fix it because the hospitals are almost full)," he said.