Aksyon Demokratiko senatorial candidate Carl Balita called for better pay, benefits, and job security for nurses and medical frontliners especially amid another coronavirus disease (COVID-19) surge.

During the Pandesal Forum at the Kamuning Bakery in Quezon City on Tuesday, Jan. 4, Balita emphasized the need to provide frontline healthcare workers, especially nurses, with better benefits.

“Bigyan po natin ng tamang trabaho, tamang benepisyo, tamang security of tenure, tamang regard ang mga nurses sa ating pamahalaan at tignan din po natin ang kanilang kalagayan sa private sector (Let’s give nurses working for the public healthcare sector good jobs, good benefits, security of tenure, and recognition, and let’s look at how nurses are faring in the private sector),” said Balita.

“, ako nga ay isang nurse na job order na contractual na, at may offer from overseas, alam niyo naman na para sa pamilya ko, aalis ako (For example, I am a nurse under job order or under contract and I received an offer from overseas. Of course I will accept it to provide for my family),” he said.

Balita noted that without nurses and medical frontliners, the building of medical infrastructures and the purchase of medical equipment are rendered obsolete.

“Walang kwenta ang itinayo na buildings at ospital at binili natin na kama kung walang health personnel (New buildings, hospitals, are all worthless without health personnel),” he said.

Balita also lamented the growing number of COVID-19 infections among medical frontliners.

In Manila, about 50 medical frontliners of Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center (GABMMC) were reported to have tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, Jan. 3.