By Raymund Antonio For Vice President Leni Robredo, the daily sacrifices of doctors and other medical frontliners in battling the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are nothing short of heroic. That’s exactly the reason why they have to be always protected at all cost from the deadly disease, Robredo said. Vice President Leni Robredo (OVP / MANILA BULLETIN) “Itong mga doktor , dadami pa ito kapag hindi natin alagaan iyong pangangailangan nila,” she said. (These doctors who got infected with the disease will increase in number if we don’t take care of their needs.) The vice president took to Facebook to express her sadness over the deaths of 17 doctors in the battle against COVID-19, citing a report from the Philippine Medical Association. “This is so heartbreaking,” Robredo, a lawyer, said in a post. Dr. Leandro Resurreccion III, a pediatric transplant surgeon at Philippine General Hospital (PGH), was among the latest doctor who died due to COVID-19. He was 57. Medical professionals and health workers have been working tirelessly to contain the virus outbreak, but the shortage of protective gears that will protect them has put their lives at risk. Some of them have been forced to undergo self-quarantine after suspected exposure to infected patients in hospitals. Robredo said it was important to address the needs of medical frontliners while they fulfill their duties. “Kaya ito, tinutukan natin talaga, iyong pangangalaga sa ating mga health workers kasi kapag naubos iyong ating health workers, sino na iyong aasahan natin? Iyong aasahan talaga natin, sila, so kailangan silang pangalagaan,” she said. (This is why we really focus on taking care of our health workers because if they are gone, to whom we can turn to? We really rely on them so they have to be taken care of.)