DOH appeals to health workers: Avoid protest action, patients should be our primary concern

The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday appealed to health workers not to proceed with their planned mass protest as it will put the health system at risk and endanger the welfare of patients.

The Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) earlier threatened to launch mass protests if the DOH fails to provide all the benefits and compensation to medical frontline workers by August 31.

“Kami po ay nakikiusap sa ating mga health care workers because ito po ay makakaapekto nang maigi sa operations ng ating mga ospital at nakikita naman natin ang kalagayan ng ating mga ospital sa ngayon,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during Laging Handa briefing.

(We are appealing to our health care workers because this [protest] will adversely affect our hospitals as we are seeing the current situation of our hospitals.)

“Sana ang ganitong klaseng mga pagkilos ay maiwasan natin at bigyang daan natin ang ating pagmamalasakit sa ating mga pasyente,” she said.

(We hope this kind of action will be avoided and give way to compassion for our patients.)

National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 special adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa said Friday the Department of Health  (DOH) can now release the special risk allowance (SRA) of health workers to hospitals.

Herbosa said funds will be downloaded to hospitals which can provide a list of SRA recipients.

On Wednesday, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced that it has released P311.79 million but only for the long overdue SRAs of health workers.

AHW president Robert Mendoza expressed disappointment that the DOH has yet to provide the P38,000 worth of meal and transportation allowance from December 2020 to June 2021, as well as the P3,000 monthly active duty hazard pay.

Due to this, the alliance said it is now giving the government only until Friday, instead of August 31, to release their benefits or they would push through with their planned protest action.

“Ginagawa ng DOH ang ating lahat nang makakaya para mabigay natin ang mga kahilingan at mga benepisyo ng ating mga health care workers,” Vergeire said.

(The DOH is doing everything it can to give the benefits needed by our health care workers.)

The Health official said the DOH is waiting for the submissions of its regional offices pertaining to the additional workers applying for SRA.

“Kahapon po may datos kami (As of yesterday, we have data that) about 17,670 eligible health workers have already applied through their facilities,” Vergeire said. -MDM, GMA News