30 of 32 health workers’ families have now received P1M death benefit —DOH

Thirty of the 32 bereaved families of healthcare workers who succumbed to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have already received their P1 million benefit from the government, a health official said on Tuesday, the deadline for the distribution.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Department of Health (DOH) was still coordinating with the remaining two families since the heirs live in the United States and the United Kingdom.

“The other two [deceased health workers] have their relatives abroad and we are still coordinating with their families how they can get the money,” she told reporters.

Meanwhile, all 19 health workers considered severe COVID-19 cases have received their P100,000 sickness benefit mandated by law.

Vergeire earlier said that there were 42 healthcare workers initially identified by the DOH as severe cases but the list was trimmed down after the department found that not all patients were in severe condition.

“Ang mga iba ay napag-alaman natin, base sa kanilang mga medical abstract, na hindi pa sila severe cases kaya hindi po sila eligible to receive the benefits,” Vergeire said in a briefing on Monday. 

President Rodrigo Duterte set June 9, Tuesday, as the deadline for the distribution of death and sickness benefits to health workers with COVID-19. 

Malacañang earlier said Duterte was “frustrated” upon learning that no health workers had received the benefits months since the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act was signed into law.

As of June 8, the DOH has recorded 2,741 COVID-19 cases among health workers, 1,598 of whom have recovered while 32 have died. 

The Philippines has logged 22,992 infections, with 4,736 recoveries and 1,017 deaths, as of Tuesday afternoon. — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News