St. Luke’s QC health workers stage protest over unreleased benefits

Dozens of health workers from St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) in Quezon City staged a protest on Monday over their unreleased COVID-19 benefits.

According to a “Balitanghali” report by GMA News’ Saleema Refran, around 40 health workers gathered outside SLMC QC to demand the release of their special risk allowance (SRA) and meal, accommodation, and transportation (MAT) allowance.

“Ang pakiusap namin sa publiko, humihingi kami ng suporta sa lahat kasi ‘yung pinaglalaban namin dito, kapakanan din ng publiko ‘yung aming pinaglalaban,” SLMC QC Employees Association president Jao Clumia said.

(We are asking the public for support because we are also fighting for the good of the public.)

“‘Pag nawala na ‘yung ating mga healthcare workers, lalo na ‘yung mga nurses sa loob ng ospital… hindi kayo makakatapak diyan sa ER (emergency room), mamamatay kayo dahil wala na nga po, punuan na tayo,” he added.

(When our healthcare workers leave, especially the nurses inside the hospital… you won’t be able to enter the emergency room, you will die because hospitals are full.)

Health workers from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Hospital and Lourdes Hospital were also expected to mount similar protests over unreleased benefits on Monday.

‘We won’t turn our backs on Filipinos’

In an interview with Balitanghali, UST Hospital Union president Donell Siazon vowed that health workers would not abandon patients despite their plans to hold protests.

This was after the Department of Health (DOH) appealed to health workers not to push through with their planned protests

“‘Wag po sanang baliktarin ang sitwasyon na parang kami pa ‘yung gumagawa po ng hindi maganda. Katulad po ng sinasabi namin, may mga pagkilos man kaming ganito, hindi po namin tatalikuran ‘yung serbisyo natin sa ating mamamayan,” Siazon said.

(I hope they don’t flip the script and make it seem as though we are the ones doing something wrong. Like we always say, even though we have protests like this, we will not turn our backs on our service to our countrymen.)

Siazon said many health workers in the private sector still have not received their SRA, active hazard duty pay, MAT allowance, and COVID-19 sickness and death compensation.

“Hangga’t hindi pinapakinggan at hindi binibigay ‘yung mga benepisyo na dapat para sa mga health workers natin sa private hospitals, magtutuloy-tuloy po kami,” he said.

(As long as we are not being heard and the benefits for health workers in private hospitals are not released, we will continue to protest.)

Siazon also questioned the sufficiency of the P311 million released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for the SRA of an additional 20,000 health workers. 

“Hindi po sapat na para bang pina-pacify lang ng gobyerno ‘yung mga health workers po natin sa kakapiranggot na halaga. Hindi nga po dapat namin hinihingi ito, dapat ito ay kusang binibigay ng gobyerno,” he said.

(It’s not enough that the government is seemingly just pacifying health workers with a small amount. We shouldn’t even be asking for this, it should just be given by the government.)

The DOH has yet to respond to several requests for comment from the media on health workers’ protests and updates on the distribution of the SRA.

Last week, the agency said it had sought additional funds from the DBM to provide SRA to over 17,000 more health workers.  — Julia Mari Ornedo/RSJ, GMA News