Payouts for COVID-19-infected medics approved following Palace push
AFTER PRODDING from the Palace, an order approving cash benefits of up to P1 million for health care workers who died or became seriously ill on the job due to coronavirus was signed Thursday, the Department of Health (DoH) said.
Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire said Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III signed a join administrative order and later confirmed that the order was also signed by the Secretaries of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) and Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
“We just need to have the funds ready,” Ms. Vergeire said in a virtual briefing.
The Bayanihan To Heal As One provides for P1 million in cash benefits to health care workers who died due to COVID-19 and P100,000 to those who were classified as critically or severely ill due to the virus starting Feb. 1.
The P1 million cash grant is expected to go to survivors of 32 health care workers who died. Seventy-nine other health care workers — 60 of them severe and 19 critical — are expected to receive the P100,000 grants.
Ms. Vergeire said the grants will be sourced from DoH money realigned from other medical assistance funds.
The grants were delayed by a cash search from sources like the Government Service Insurance System and Social Security System.
“In-explore ‘yung mga iba’t ibang posibilidad para magawa natin itong sinasabing provision na ito sa batas kaya medyo tayo ay natagalan (We were exploring other possibilities to meet the requirements of the law, which is why it took time),” she said.
The President’s spokesman Herminio L. Roque said President Rodrigo R. Duterte set a deadline for government agencies to pay out benefits to health workers who became seriously ill or died because of COVID-19.
“Hanggang Martes lang po ang binigay ng Presidente para sa lahat ng kinauukulan na ibigay ang mga compensation benefits sa mga health workers na nagkasakit ng COVID-19 in the line of duty at sa mga pamilyang naiwan ng mga namatay na health workers simula Biyernes (The President gave all agencies until Tuesday to pay out benefits for those who became sick in the line of duty and until Friday to release the benefits to the families of those who died),” Mr. Roque said in a briefing.
He added that Mr. Duterte is “mad” and “frustrated” because the law which provides the benefits to infected health care workers was passed on March 24. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas
