It seems that health care workers will continue to collect their special risk allowance (SRA) from the Department of Health (DOH) because apart from the pending funds, there is also no budget for it in 2022.
During the budget briefing in the House, Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo that very little of the P311 million fund for SRA has been released.
Here, the DOH admits that there is no funding for the SRA in the 2022 proposed budget because it is said to be included in the Bayanihan 3 proposal, which is still pending in the Senate.
“Bayanihan 3 is hanging in the balance, di tayo sure kung magiging batas ‘yun. Ang tanong natin saan kukunin ‘yan,” Quimbo asked the DOH.
Quimbo added that even in Bayanihan 3, there is no funding allocated for the SRA because its provision was just copied in Bayanihan 2, so it should have been included in the DOH’s proposed 2022 budget.
“As far as I know, we just copied the provision in Bayanihan 2, but without itemized appropriation… So basically ang inaasahan GAA (General Appropriations Act),” said Quimbo.
It will be recalled that the delayed provision of SRA is one of the grievances of the health workers.
On Wednesday, medical workers continued to protest to call for the removal of Health Secretary Francisco Duque.
DOH has no budget allocated for SRA in 2022
Last week, the number of health workers who will receive special risk allowance (SRA) will increase.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said this is due to the Department of Health’s (DOH) ongoing recruitment of additional names of health care workers who are qualified to receive it.
In addition to the previous more than 20,000 names, they have already submitted to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for more than P311 million in funding for their SRA.
“Kasalukuyang din Mr. President na nakikipag-ugnayan ang DOH sa mga LGUs at private hospitals upang makalap ang mga dagdag bilang na mga health workers na nararapat pang makatanggap ng special risk allowance. Magsusumite rin ngayong araw ang kagawaran ng mga dokumento sa DBM para maibigyan ang 17, 617 additonal health workers kung aabot sa P201 million na kinakailangan na pondo,” said Duque.
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