Health workers from private hospitals and medical institutions are considering a “medical lockdown” as COVID-19 cases continue to surge while their benefits remain unreleased, prompting the Department of Health to appeal for a dialog to prevent a possible mass resignation, with a promise to immediately act on their concerns.
“I hope we can discuss your concerns so we do not end up with that situation because [mass resignations] will greatly strain our health care system. We really need you right now,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
“We are appealing to you. If you have complaints, we will talk to the organizations of healthcare workers. We will listen to your concerns, and if we can do it immediately, then we will immediately attend to whatever your needs are,” she added.
According to UST Hospital union president Donnel Siason, they have not received the benefits which their counterparts in public hospitals have enjoyed, including life insurance, free transportation, hazard pay, and medical allowance—all provided for under Bayanihan 2.
St. Luke’s Medical Center Employees Association president Jao Clumia said health workers are planning a mass mobilization to press the government on the benefits due them.
Filipino Nurses United president Maristela Abenojar said healthcare workers in private hospitals should also be given active hazard duty pay (AHDP) of P3,000 per month.
“Under the Bayanihan, only those in the public sector shall receive AHDP. But when we attend to COVID-19 patients, it does not matter if you are from private or government. The risk is the same,” she said.
Senate probe
Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman chairman Richard Gordon said it will investigate the issue of hazard pay and allowances for medical frontliners in its motu propio probe set on Aug. 18.
“The hearing will focus on the COVID-19 allowances for the nurses. We will ask why the allowances were not yet given to the healthcare workers. We will also look into reports, claiming some unqualified individuals received these benefits. Those are the questions that we will raise for the moment,” Gordon said.
The power Blue Ribbon committee will still look into the report of the Commission on Audit on the “deficiencies” in the DOH’s use of its P67 billion COVID-19 fund, but only after the 60-day deadline given to the department to comply with COA’s requirements for documentation.
“The hearing will focus on the allowances issue because DOH was given 60 days to explain their side on the general findings of COA. We should wait for the COA to finish its job,” he said,
‘Criminal negligence’
A legislator on Saturday described as “criminal” the alleged negligence of DOH in providing health workers with protective equipment against COVID-19.
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said the DOH must be able to make a full disclosure and explanation to the House of Representatives of how it spent its COVID-19 response funds since 2020.
He said the failure of DOH to use in a timely fashion the P3 billion allotted in Bayanihan 2 for the acquisition of PPEs “smacks of criminal neglect” as it put health workers at serious risk of infection, great harm and even death on a daily basis.
“This seeming I-couldn’t-care-less mindset of our officials at the DOH is totally disgusting and betrays their apparent apathy towards our doctors, nurses, and other hospital frontliners who risk their lives trying to save Filipinos from dying from COVID-19,” Villafuerte added.
Congress not listening—Duque
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, for his part, said the DOH has already repeatedly explained to Congress the delayed release of risk allowances and benefits to medical workers.
“We will explain and clarify the issue because they are raising it over and over again. It appears the other side is not listening to our explanation. That makes things difficult,” he said.
He said DOH regional offices are tasked with downloading the funds to hospitals, and hospital chiefs are then in charge of paying their medical frontliners.
“We need to channel these funds to the hospitals, and hospital chiefs have the accountability to distribute the allowances to identified hazard pay recipients,” Duque said.