Presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has called on the government to also prioritize the welfare of relatives of health care workers by providing them free vitamins and medicines,
Marcos Jr. said every health worker has accepted the risk they face amid COVID-19. But what concerns them most, he said, is when their loved ones get sick because of them, on top of low wages and delayed benefits.
"Pag-uwi nila ng bahay ay bitbit din nila ang anumang virus na nakuha nila sa hospital (When they go home, they bring with them the virus they get from the hospital)," he said. "Kahit sabihin pa nating naka-PPE sila. Hindi pa rin ito garantiya na ligtas na sila para mahawa at makapanghawa (Even they wear personal protective equipment, it does not ensure they won't get infected and infect others)."
The presidential aspirant then urged the national and all local government units to immediately ensure they have sufficient supply of essential medicines and vitamins not only for the frontliners but also for their immediate relatives.
"Mahirap sa pakiramdam iyong alam mong ikaw bilang frontliner ang dahilan kung bakit nagkasakit ang iyong kamag-anak (It's hard to think that you, as a frontliners, will be the cause of your relative's sickness)," he said.
"Ang masaklap, habang inaalagaan mo ang ibang pasyente, sarili mong pamilya ay hindi mo maalagaan (What's worse is that while you take care of others, you can't take care of your own family)," he added.