Release health care workers' benefits – Go

SEN. Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go on Monday reminded the Department of Health (DoH) to speed up the delivery of benefits to health care workers (HCWs).

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography also asked the DoH to provide what is due to frontliners while the country aims for pandemic recovery.

The Health department earlier gave assurances that it is hastening the release of Covid-19 sickness and death compensation worth P1 billion for qualified HCWs and support staff.

Go thanked the department for immediately addressing the needs of HCWs.

"Dapat lang po talaga na aksyunan agad ng gobyerno ang nararapat para sa kanila lalo na't nakasaad ito sa batas (The government should really act on what they rightfully deserve since it is provided under the law," Go said.

"As much as possible, kung kakayanin naman ng pondo, dapat ibigay natin ang lahat ng suportang pwede nating ibigay (if funds permit, we must provide all the support that we can give)," he said in a statement.

Last April 27, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act 11712 which grants mandatory continuing benefits and allowances to public and private HCWs, regardless of employment status, during the Covid-19 pandemic and other public health emergencies.

Under the law, each frontliner will be entitled to a fixed allowance per month of service applied retroactively from July 2021.

"Republic Act No. 11712, which I was among those who authored and co-sponsored, covers all public and private medical, allied medical and other personnel who are assigned in hospitals, laboratories and medical or temporary treatment and monitoring facilities," Go said.

For HCWs assigned in low risk areas, they will receive P3,000 while P6,000 should be given to those under medium risk areas. Those who work in high risk areas will be granted P9,000.

In addition, the HWCs will receive separate compensation if they contract Covid-19 while on duty. For those with mild to moderate symptoms, they will receive P15,000 while individuals with severe symptoms or under a critical state will get P100,000.

Meanwhile, for those who died from infection, the government will give P1 million to the families they left behind.

Source: TheManila Times