DOH: Volunteer health care workers to get perks on top of P500 daily allowance

Volunteer health care workers on the frontlines against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will receive additional benefits on top of the P500 daily allowance earlier announced, the Department of Health (DOH) said Sunday.

According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, volunteer health care workers will be able to receive special wages as part of the compensation for their work.

"May mga concern pong nakarating sa amin na wala ring ibibigay na compensation at lodging kapag naka-off duty ang ating mga volunteer health care workers. Hindi po ito totoo," she said in a briefing aired online on Sunday.

"Ang mga volunteer health workers po natin ay bibigyan ng pagkain at lugar na matitirhan habang sila ay naglilingkod at habang sila ay sumasailalim sa 14-day quarantine. Makakatanggap din sila ng incentives na daily allowance kahit sila ay naka-quarantine," she added.

According to Vergeire, volunteer health care workers will receive the following benefits:

• Package allocated to COVID referral hospitals
• Daily allowance (including quarantine days)
• COVID-19 special risk allowance
• Hazard pay under the Magna Carte for Public Healthcare Workers
• Transportation Allowance
• Medical expenses to be shouldered by PhilHealth (P100,000 compensation in case of critical illness, and P1M to be received by family in case of death)

Vergeire earlier announced that volunteer health care workers will be on two weeks on, two weeks off basis, meaning they will be on duty for two weeks, after which they undergo a 14-day quarantine period before being allowed to go on duty again.

To recall, the DOH earlier only announced a compensation of P500 per volunteer worker, which it since has apologized for as it claimed it is the usual amount being given in such cases. —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/LBG, GMA News