DOH: More health workers will get risk allowance

The Department of Health said Thursday that more health workers will be given a special risk allowance (SRA) following the Department of Budget and Management’s release of funds for the long-awaited benefits.

In a statement, the DOH said the P311 million released by the DBM will benefit an additional 20,208 health workers. 

Likewise, it said the funds have been downloaded to its Centers for Health Development (CHD) and will be released to local government units and private health facilities “in the next few days.”

“Huwag po kayong mag-alala at madadagdagan pa itong bilang ng healthcare workers na makakatanggap ng SRA sapagkat kasalukuyan tayong nakikipag-ugnayan sa iba’t ibang LGU at private hospitals,” Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said.

(Rest assured that more healthcare workers will receive the SRA since we are currently coordinating with different LGUs and private hospitals.)

“Nakikiusap po kami na ang mga ospital at health facilities ay makipagtulungan sa kani-kanilang mga CHD upang makapag-submit ng kanilang mga requirements,” he added.

(We call on hospitals and health facilities to work with their CHD for their requirements.)

However, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) has said that their mass protest will still push through on September 1, citing the DOH’s failure to provide their allowances for meals, accommodation, and transportation, and active hazard duty pay. 

"Hindi kasi nila binabayaran ang lahat kaya dismayado ang health workers. Bakit SRA lang? Ang dami ninyong utang," AHW President Robert Mendoza said.

(They are not paying us for everything, that’s why health workers are disappointed. Why only SRA? You owe us much more.)

10-day deadline

Last Saturday, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered Duque and the DBM to pay the allowances and benefits due to medical frontliners within 10 days amid some groups’ protests over the delayed payments.

He also told the Health chief to pay the vaccinators who volunteered in the government’s COVID-19 inoculation program.

“Unahan na lang kita. May pera man. Sabi nga, ang pera obligated na… Babayaran lahat ‘yung nagrereklamo na frontliners about their allowances, about whatever, pati…itong mga volunteers na nagbakuna,” Duterte said in a taped public address aired Saturday morning. —LBG, GMA News