A bill seeking to protect from discrimination, harassment and violence health workers, frontliners, and patients who contracted the coronavirus disease or COVID-19, has been recently filed by Senator Risa Hontiveros.
Senate Bill No. 1436, otherwise known as the “Mandatory Protection of Health Workers, Frontliners and Patients Act,” seeks to address threats and acts of violence and harassment experienced especially by health workers and patients in their respective communities.
“Our health workers are risking their and their families’ health and well-being for the health and well-being of our community.”
“In the midst of this crisis, our health workers continue to work at the frontlines, risking their and their families’ health and well-being for the health and well-being of our community. Discrimination against health workers is a crime against public health,” Hontiveros said.
The proposed measure, which is an amendment to Section 9 of Republic Act No. 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act which Hontiveros co-authored, covers all health workers, frontline employees and patients, regardless if they are confirmed or merely suspected to be carriers of any disease of public health concern.
The bill was filed after reports of health workers and patients being barred entry to groceries, banks, boarding houses and even into their own barangays.
The veteran legislator reported that extreme cases have led to death, citing attacks against an ambulance driver in Quezon City and another health worker at a hospital in Sultan Kudarat.
“Ignorance and hostility will not protect us from the disease.”
“Ignorance and hostility will not protect us from the disease. Now, more than ever, we need compassion and community. Now, more than ever, we need to protect our health workers and frontliners,” the seasoned lawmaker urged.
Once passed into law, violators of the measure will be fined from P20,000 to P50,000, and will face imprisonment of from one to six months.