More benefits for health care workers

FOLLOWING THE massive public outcry for additional benefits for health care workers, the Department of Health announced that the provision of Covid-19 benefits will continue this year.

The DOH said it allocated P1.08 billion in the General Appropriations Act 2022 for the grant of sickness and death benefits to health care workers who contracted the deadly respiratory disease in the line of duty.

It said the Active Hazard Duty Pay for Public Health Workers; Meals, Accommodation and Transportation Allowance; and the Special Risk Allowance for health care workers directly catering or exposed to Covid-19 patients shall be discontinued and replaced by a more inclusive and responsive under the new One Covid-19 Allowance (OCA) this year.

The OCA shall be provided to all health care workers involved in Covid-19 response. The allowance shall be equitably distributed to health care workers, taking into account their Covid-19 exposure classification - this considers the type of health facility where they are assigned, work setting, and nature of work.

The DOH said those deemed classified to be high risk will be eligible for P9,000 per month while those classified as moderate and low risk shall be given P6,000 and P3,000 respectively. The OCA shall also be pro-rated.

The DOH has issued Administrative Order No. 2022-0001: Guidelines for Covid-19 Risk Exposure Classification in order to have a national database of health care workers involved in the Covid-19 response and their respective risk classification.

The funds for health care workers’ benefits will be approved by the Department of Budget and Management once all documentary requirements have been fulfilled. It also called on all public and private health facilities to comply and cooperate to ensure that guidelines are properly reiterated to health care workers and prevent any miscommunication and fast track the implementation of the OCA.

“We are working hard to make certain that all our health care workers are well-taken care of by providing them with benefits that will recognize their efforts in fighting through the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. (Mark Navales and Malou Cablinda contributed to this report.)