DOH: P1.04 billion in health workers’ special risk allowance to be released next week

The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday said it is aiming to distribute next week P1.04 billion in special risk allowances (SRA) to eligible public and private healthcare workers involved in COVID-19 health care response.

At a press briefing, DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the approved P1.04 billion will cover unpaid COVID SRA claims of 55,211 healthcare workers from September 2020 to June 2021.

“Itong P1.04 billion na natanggap natin pinoproseso na natin ngayon [We are processing the P1.04 billion]. We will be already downloading to our regional offices. Hopefully, by next week we can already start distributing and disbursing this money to our different facilities para maibigay sa ating mga [so that we can give it to our] healthcare workers,” she said.

The DOH's announcement case as groups again staged a demonstration outside the department's main complex, calling for the release of benefits, wage increases, and increased protection for healthcare workers.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Tuesday said it has approved the issuance of a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) amounting to P1.04 billion.

The DBM said qualified health workers refer to medical, allied medical, and other personnel assigned in hospitals and health care facilities, and who are directly catering to or are in contact with COVID-19 patients, persons under investigation (PUIs) or persons under monitoring (PUMs).

Meanwhile, Vergeire said the DOH is still requesting the DBM for the release of P11.5 billion in health emergency allowances for the healthcare workers.

“Now the P11.5 billion plus, isa pa rin yan sinulat natin at nire-request na release of funds. This is for the unpaid health emergency allowance for the period of January to June 2022 this year," she said.

Vergeire said they were doing their best to request and release the necessary allowances and benefits for the healthcare workers, adding that they were committed to distribute these funds for them.

“Gusto ko lang sabihin na ang mga healthcare worker allowance na meron po tayo ngayon, kino-commit naman po yan ng DOH na as long as makuha natin yung funds, we will be providing to them,” she said.

(I want to tell healthcare workers that we are committed to distribute the healthcare worker allowance. DOH has committed that as long as we get the funds, we will be providing it to them.)

“We are doing all of our efforts, we have presented these to the President, to the Senate, to the Congress para makakuha tayo ng karagdagang budget para mapondohan natin lahat ng kailangang allowance ng healthcare workers [so that we can get the additional budget to fund all the necessary allowances of healthcare workers],” she added. — BM, GMA News