The threat of protest and mass resignation of health workers continues because they see that all the benefits they are seeking will not be paid with the ultimatum they have set with the government.
But before that, St Luke’s Medical Center admitted that they were in trouble because they had a lot of staff who had already resigned.
“From an original 66 nurses in the emergency room in Global, we are now down with only 43… The reason for that is resignations, madaming pumunta na sa ibang bansa,” said Dr. Benjamin Campomanes, chief medical officer of the hospital.
According to St. Luke’s Medical Center Employees Association, work in hospitals is now like a suicide mission because the risk is high and the work is overflowing, but it lacks benefits.
Although the special risk allowance (SRA) was given to those assigned to COVID-19 wards, other workers did not. As a result, they still have not received the meal, accommodation, and transportation (MAT) allowance promised in Bayanihan 2.
According to Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega, the P311 million for SRA has been distributed to regional offices by more than 20,000 health workers. The download is being arranged at public and private hospitals.
But because the DOH always only discusses SRA, health workers feel that the other benefits promised to them have not been paid.
Health workers continue to protest for benefits
The health workers of the Philippine General Hospital are also indebted to their active hazard duty pay, which should be separate from the hazard pay that they are entitled to by law.
Some groups also prepare a protest next week to demand that the government provide all benefits.
Meanwhile, 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.
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