Citing the problem of understaffing, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) on Monday, Feb. 14, said some health workers work 12 to 16 hours a day.
In an interview over TeleRadyo, AHW National President Robert Mendoza said a lot of health workers already resigned, retired, or left for other countries so "the issue of serious understaffing has not been resolved."
Mendoza also noted that the number of non-COVID patients in hospitals is also increasing.
"Sa ngayon po kung titingnan natin, dahil nga malalang understaffing, ang ginagawa ng ating mga director ng ospital para ma-compensate yung malalang understaffing, hindi na sila bumalik sa normal na eight hours (Right now if we look at it, because of severe understaffing, what our hospital directors are doing to compensate for the severe understaffing, they no longer implement an eight-hour working schedule)," Mendoza said.
"Sa ngayon po nasa 12 hours pa rin yung ating mga health workers. Twelve to 16 hours pag malala pa kung wala kang ka-endorse, may sakit yung ka-endorse mo, magdu-duty ka talaga nang 24 hours. Tapos yung ating mga doktor, hindi lang sila 18 hours, umaabot sila nang 24 hours to 48 hours (Right now, our health workers work for 12 hours. Twelve to 16 hours when they don't have a reliever. If their relievers are sick, they will have to be on duty for 24 hours. Our doctors, they don't just work for 18 hours, they are on duty for 24 to 48 hours)," he added.
Mendoza urged the Department of Health to mass hire public health workers to address the issue of understaffing.
"Sa Department of Health merong almost 14,000 na vacant plantilla positions, buksan na ito para doon sa ating mga health workers na matagal nang mga contractual at itigil talaga ang contractualization dahil alam natin ang trabaho natin sa ospital very essential (There are almost 14,000 vacant plantilla positions in DOH, they must open it for our health workers who have been contractual for a long time. Stop contractualization because we know our work in the hospital is very essential)," he stressed.