DOH to work double-time to distribute monetary benefits to sick, fallen healthcare workers due to COVID-19
Published June 5, 2020, 1:19 PM
The Department of Health (DOH) said on Friday that it will comply with the deadline set by President Duterte for them to distribute the monetary benefits of healthcare workers who died or were infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that he instructed DOH officials and workers not to go home until the cheques for the cash benefits of affected healthcare workers are distributed.
“We will comply, Mr. President, with your deadline. Sabi ko, huwag silang uuwi tonight, tomorrow, this weekend, because you gave a three-day deadline to distribute the cheques,” Duque said in a briefing in Malacanang aired on Friday.
The President gave the DOH until Tuesday, June 9, to distribute the benefits. This came after the Senate recently revealed that no healthcare worker has availed of the compensation, which is mandated under Republic Act 11469, the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.”
Under Section 4 (f) of R.A. 11469, public and private healthcare workers who contract severe COVID-19 infection while in the line of duty will be entitled to P100,000 compensation. Financial assistance worth P1 million shall be granted to the family of any health worker who will succumb while battling COVID-19.
The Health chief blamed his subordinates for the delay in the granting of the benefits to healthcare workers.
“Nakakahiya talaga Sir. Namatayan na nga, tapos nagpa-warde warde yung mga tao ko na parang walang sense of urgency, Sir. Iyon talaga ang talagang ang sama-sama po ng loob ko,” said Duque. (It’s shameful, Sir, that our health workers have died and my subordinates did not perform their duties at all and have no sense of urgency. This is what really hurt me.)
On Thursday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told reporters that the delay in distribution was due to the exploration on where they will source out the fund, citing that the law states that it should come from reallocated or realigned budgets.
“Nakalagay doon sa ating batas, kailangan doon sa reallocated at realigned funds natin kukunin kaya kailangan talaga tayo maghanap [As stated in the law, we need to get it from the reallocated and realigned funds],” said Vergeire.
“In summary, ating inexplore yung iba’t-ibang posibilidad upang magawa itong sinasabing provision na ito sa batas kaya medyo tayo ay natagalan [In summary, we have explored possibilities to implement this provision of the law. That is why it took us quite long],” she added.
The DOH said the cheques are “ready for pick-up and delivery to the recipients and its distribution will be prioritized in the next two days.”
“To ensure that beneficiaries will not encounter difficulties in filing their claims, they shall be assisted by the Malasakit Program Office and Medical Assistance to Indigent Patients coordinators in DOH Centers for Health Development nationwide. The DOH will send an official notification to the health worker or legal beneficiary once the claim is approved and is available for release.”
Vergeire said 32 healthcare workers in the country have died due to COVID-19 as of June 3, while 79 became severely or critically ill due to the disease.
