The Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) on Tuesday, Aug. 31, said it has not received any reports of healthcare workers quitting so far.

"Sa amin pong hanay wala po kaming ganyan na umaalis. Kasi kami lang po talaga ang pwedeng asahan ng mga tao, walang titingin sa tao kung kami pa po ay aalis at iiwanan ang posisyon namin dito sa ospital (On our end, we do not have those who leave like that. Because we are the only ones that people can really count on and no one will look at people if we leave our position here in the hospital)," PCP president Dr. Maricar Limpin said in an interview with DZBB.

"Depende rin po kung saan sila naroroon. Karamihan ng mga nurses ay medyo talagang umaalis. 'Yung mga nasa pribadong ospital, mga maliliit na medyo mababa talaga ang natatanggap nilang sahod (It also depends on where they are. Most of the nurses that are actually leaving -- those in private hospitals -- the small ones -- they really receive relatively low salaries)," she added.

Earlier reports said some health worker groups will conduct mass actions if the government will be not be able to pay their benefits by Sept. 1, 2021.

The Department of Health (DOH) assured that they are addressing the demands of health workers and appealed not to push through with their plan of staging protest actions on the said date.

Aside from the low salaries and benefits, many healthcare workers in the country have also contracted the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) which resulted in staff shortages, Limpin noted.

"Dito sa atin marami rami na sa kanila ang nagkakaroon ng COVID-19 kaya minsan nadedeplete din talaga ang healthcare workforce natin dahil medyo kulang po ang mga nurses natin (Here, many of us are already getting infected with COVID-19, so sometimes our healthcare workforce is really depleted because our nurses are inadequate," she said.

Limpin also said that adding beds in hospitals will not be enough if there will be no nurses who will take care of patients.

"Kahit di kami sinasabihan ng DOH nagdadagdag na kami ng kama basta kakayanin, kaya lang ang probleme yung limiting factor --- kung mayroon po kaming mailalagay na mga nurses para tugunan po 'yung dagdag kama po na yan (Even if the DOH does not tell us, we are adding beds as long as we can afford it. The only problem is the limiting factor --- if we have nurses to put in place to address that extra beds)," she said.

"Pag nag admit po kami ng isang patient na may COVID-19 medyo matagal po ang stay niyan. Hindi po yan lalabas ng ospital ng less than 14 days. Lahat po yan dalawang linggo. Medyo matagal at mabagal ang turnover ng mga pasyente (When we admit a patient with COVID-19, their stay is quite long. They will not be released from the hospital for less than 14 days. That is all for two weeks. The turnover of patients is quite long and slow)," the doctor added.

There were also some situations where patients have been waiting in their private cars to be accommodated by the hospital, Limpin stressed.

"Hindi lang po sa NCR kundi sa iba't ibang parte ng Pilipinas like Cebu, Calabarzon, sa Central Luzon... na talagang ganyan ang sitwasyon (Not only in NCR but in different parts of the Philippines like Cebu, Calabarzon, Central Luzon ... that's really the situation)," she said.

Limpin, meanwhile, said that minimum health protocols must be maintained, stressing that many people still leave their homes despite the implementation of the modified enhanced community quarantine.

The country recorded its highest-ever new COVID infections at 22,366 on Monday, Aug. 30.