Mr. President, Members of Congress,

The current COVID-19 pandemic that is prevailing around the world makes us all aware of the value and importance of the millions of medical personnel in our society.

These brave men and women selflessly risk their health, their lives and the lives of their families so that we, everyday Americans, can be assured of professional, selfless, immediate critical medical attention when we most desperately need it.

Sadly, these same heroes are too often the victims of physical, verbal or mental abuse from patients or patient's families, who, through fear or lack of knowledge abuse the civil rights of the very caregivers they so desperately need.

At present, medical personnel have no legal rights or recourse to protect themselves.

There are no laws in place to protect them as there are for police, fire, transit workers or other essential, on-demand services.  By comparison, the work of medical staff in the field, in hospitals, rehabilitation centers and nursing homes is every bit as dangerous and strenuous as that of our first-responders and exacts both a severe physical and mental toll. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, the danger to these front-line workers is all the more severe in a way that the threat is not visible to the human eye.

The health, welfare and future of all United States citizens are critically dependent upon our medical personnel. Regardless of race, religion or social status, one day we all will need professional medical care.

It is past time that all medical workers - especially those working directly bedside with sick patients - are covered by the same rights and protections as the military, police, fire, transit workers and other critical government institutions.

To ensure that these critical personnel are mobile and flexible in their employment options, and for the good of our country, such medical workers should be issued with licenses entitling them to pursue medical professions not only in the state in which they obtain their bona-fides, but throughout the United States, at all times and regardless of the epidemiological situation.

Mr. President and members of Congress, we request to establish Federal and State laws that provide medical personnel of the United States of America with:

A.) Legal protections against physical or mental harassment by the patients and family members of patients who abuse their rights.

B.) Work fulfillment and retirement privileges equal to the full government, state and/or local pension as other military, critical, on-demand or first-responder personnel possess.

These protections should be extended to medical professionals who:

1. Work at the beside of sick patients and/or

2. Who work multiple shifts in closed institutions such as hospitals,      rehabilitation centers or nursing homes regardless of whether they are administrative or have direct patient contact.

a.) For all workers who meet these requirements, even if they work less than 20 years, they should be afforded a pension opportunity as a full retirement at the rate of 1.5 years of pension for every year worked in the above conditions.

b.) For those workers in support and administrative roles a similar package should be made available based on need, exposure and amount of patient or health risk contact.

3. Legalizing the multi-state validity of medical diplomas without the need of transfers, throughout the country, regardless of the state in which they were obtained or evaluated from other countries.

I believe these are all reasonable, practical and most importantly essential changes to the current systems we have in place for the caring and well-being of some of the most honorable and critically essential members of our society and our Country.

Thank you and God Bless the United States of America

Respectfully yours,

Kazimierz Nietupski