Lifting of Covid-19 public health emergency must be science-based, Go tells DOH
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Tuesday, June 27 urged the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure that any decision to lift the Covid-19 public health emergency in the country should be based on science.
Senate Christopher "Bong" Go (Senate PRIB Photo)
Health Secretary Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa has disclosed plans to recommend the lifting of the Covid-19 state of public health emergency in the Philippines following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) decision to end the global health emergency on Covid-19 on May 5. “We have to consider everything and make sure that the proposed lifting of the state of public health emergency due to COVID-19 is evidence-based and dictated by good science,” Go said in a statement. “This includes ensuring that our present healthcare system is strong enough should there be an alarming increase again in the number of COVID-19 cases,” he said. The Senate Committee on Health and Demography chairman, at the same time, appealed to the DOH and other involved agencies to expedite the release of all applicable Covid-19-related allowances for the healthcare workers. “Dapat na maibigay na ng gobyerno ang para sa ating mga healthcare workers sa lalong madaling panahon. Kasama na dyan ang mga death benefits ng mga medical frontliners natin na nag-alay ng kanilang buhay para sa kaligtasan at kapakanan ng kanilang kapwa Pilipino (The government should be able to provide for our healthcare workers as soon as possible. That includes the death benefits of our medical frontliners who sacrificed their lives for the safety and welfare of their fellow Filipinos),” he said. “Ang mga allowances na ito na ipinaglaban nating mapondohan sa Senado, kung tutuusin, ay napakaliit na halaga kung ikumpara sa malaking sakripisyong ginawa ng ating mga magigiting ng healthcare workers (These allowances that we fought to get funded in the Senate, after all, are a very small amount compared to the great sacrifices made by our brave healthcare workers),” Go reiterated. “With or without the State of Public Health Emergency, the government should fulfill its obligations to protect the lives of Filipinos, safeguard their health, and give what is due to them especially to our medical frontliners,” he insisted.
Senate Christopher "Bong" Go (Senate PRIB Photo)
Health Secretary Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa has disclosed plans to recommend the lifting of the Covid-19 state of public health emergency in the Philippines following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) decision to end the global health emergency on Covid-19 on May 5. “We have to consider everything and make sure that the proposed lifting of the state of public health emergency due to COVID-19 is evidence-based and dictated by good science,” Go said in a statement. “This includes ensuring that our present healthcare system is strong enough should there be an alarming increase again in the number of COVID-19 cases,” he said. The Senate Committee on Health and Demography chairman, at the same time, appealed to the DOH and other involved agencies to expedite the release of all applicable Covid-19-related allowances for the healthcare workers. “Dapat na maibigay na ng gobyerno ang para sa ating mga healthcare workers sa lalong madaling panahon. Kasama na dyan ang mga death benefits ng mga medical frontliners natin na nag-alay ng kanilang buhay para sa kaligtasan at kapakanan ng kanilang kapwa Pilipino (The government should be able to provide for our healthcare workers as soon as possible. That includes the death benefits of our medical frontliners who sacrificed their lives for the safety and welfare of their fellow Filipinos),” he said. “Ang mga allowances na ito na ipinaglaban nating mapondohan sa Senado, kung tutuusin, ay napakaliit na halaga kung ikumpara sa malaking sakripisyong ginawa ng ating mga magigiting ng healthcare workers (These allowances that we fought to get funded in the Senate, after all, are a very small amount compared to the great sacrifices made by our brave healthcare workers),” Go reiterated. “With or without the State of Public Health Emergency, the government should fulfill its obligations to protect the lives of Filipinos, safeguard their health, and give what is due to them especially to our medical frontliners,” he insisted.