Don't make us beg for our allowance, Jose Reyes health worker laments

Several health workers on the pandemic frontlines decried the lack of government support amid the rising cases of COVID-19 in the country.

According to Oscar Oida’s report on “24 Oras” on Tuesday, health workers called out the government over the lack of personal protective equipment and the delayed special risk allowances (SRA) and active hazard duty pay.

“Nakakalungkot po kasi bakit ang gobyerno natin until now bingi pa rin sila sa panawagan natin. Until now bulag pa rin sila sa mga nangyayari sa paligid natin,” Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC) operating room nurse Cristy Donguines said.

(It’s sad because the government remains deaf to our calls. Until now, they are blind to what is really happening.)

Donguines said frontliners have been risking their lives but have not been receiving enough support from the government.

“Bakit ang SRA, ang hazard, ‘di pa rin ibinibigay sa amin? Pilit pa rin tayong nagmamakaawa sa kanila. Ang PPE namin, na dapat provided free and nasa good quality, eh bakit ngayon dito sa Jose Reyes binabayaran na siya? Ipapaako mo lahat ‘yon sa pasyente so lahat ng kinukuha mo, ipapasok mo lahat doon sa bill ng pasyente. Tama ba naman ‘yon?” she said.

(Why is the SRA not yet given to us until now? Our PPEs, which should be provided free and in good quality, are now being charged to the patients. That is the case here in Jose Reyes.)

So far, 424 hospital staff had COVID-19 JRRMMC. Four have died.

Meanwhile, JRRMMC chief of medical professional staff Dr. Wenceslao Llauderes denied that they are charging the PPEs to the patients.

“I will clarify this with Ms. Donguines because as far as I’m concerned, we are mandated by PhilHealth that when it is for the needs of the patient, it should be provided by the hospital,” he said.

At the Philippine Orthopedic Center, nurse Dennick John Salvador said he contracted COVID-19, but found it difficult to get the compensation due to health workers who would get sick under the Bayanihan 1 law.

"Imbes na ibigay na lamang ito, pinahirapan ako, dinisqualify ako ng DOH dahil ang nakalagay sa medical certificate ko ay mild," he said.

(Instead of just releasing the money that health workers may receive if they get COVID-19, they made it hard for me, DOH disqualified me because my medical certificate stated that I had only a mild case of COVID-19.)

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III assured health workers that the government is doing its best to protect them.

“We cannot let our healthcare workers fight their everyday battle at the forefront without armor. We assure our healthcare workers that your government is exhausting every effort to protect all of you through both continuous provision of protective equipment and continuous vaccination,” he said.

“With regards to the allowances, we are now computing for the SRA and AHDP up to June 30,” Duque added.

Further, the Department of Health assured that supplies of PPEs in the country are enough and that their distribution across health facilities in the country will continue.—Ma. Angelica Garcia/LDF, GMA News