NKTI medical workers organize silent protest to demand safety from coronavirus

MANILA, Philippines — The National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) Employees Association-Alliance of Health Workers on Saturday held a silent protest, calling for protection of workers from the coronavirus disease.

“Before the 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Duterte, health workers from National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) hold a silent protest today to demand for their safety and protection from deadly coronavirus disease,” read the statement on its official Facebook page.

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The NKTI alliance of health workers raised alarm over the increasing cases of COVID-19 among their fellow workers due to the alleged “negligence” of its administration.

“The number of COVID-19 infection among health workers in NKTI is rapidly increasing. This is due to gross negligence by the management, DOH and government authorities to ensure our protection and safety in the midst of our fight against this virulent disease,” read the statement.

According to the health worker alliance,  174 health workers of NKTI were infected with the disease as of July 19.

In the same statement, NKTI Employees Association President Edwin Pacheco said he was alarmed over the resignation of some workers due to excessive working hours.

“NKTI has been experiencing understaffing for a long time but it is getting worse now because many have resigned. Many of our fellow health workers are experiencing over fatigue due to excessive long hours of work, demoralization, psychological distress, stigma and fear of becoming infected,” Pacheco said.

Citing NKTI figures from March to June 2020, the workers from the Quezon City-based hospital said 65 health workers already resigned from their posts while eight retired from service.

Pacheco also lamented that over 200 contractual workers in NKTI, including doctors, do not receive overtime pay. He noted that the management would only give them “compensatory days off.”

“We are anxious with our current situation especially to our fellow contractual health workers, our fight against COVID-19 is very risky and yet our fellow contractual health workers don’t have just benefits, additional compensation and lately their salaries are always delayed,” he said.

Among the demands of NKTI workers include free mandatory and regular swab tests to all health workers, regularization of contractual workers and hiring of additional health workers to handle patients, among others.

CFC