UST temporarily suspends retrenchment of hospital workers

MANILA, Philippines – The retrenchment of the University of Santo Tomas Hospital (USTH) health workers due to losses brought by the COVID-19 pandemic was temporarily suspended and will be subject to review, the school’s Public Affairs division said.

Associate Professor and Office of Public Affairs Director Giovanna Fontanilla said in a statement on Monday that the memorandum dated April 29 on the termination of the USTH workers’ employment was “held in abeyance” and “subject for review.

The issue would be discussed by the UST Board of Trustees on May 20, 2020.

“The Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of the Philippines and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the [UST], Rev. Fr. Napoleon B. Sipalay, Jr., O.P., explains that the FA-HR-MEMO No. 23-20 of the [USTH] dated April 29, 2020 with subject ‘Termination of Employment’ is being held in abeyance because the proposal is subject for review by the UST Board of Trustees,” Fontanilla said.

On Sunday, USTH’s Medical Director Dr. Marcellus Francis Ramirez was quoted in a report by The Varsitarian, UST’s official campus publication, that the “painful” decision was brought by economic losses brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several COVID-19 patients have been admitted and are being treated at the hospital, which forms part of the UST campus.

In the hospital’s statement which The Varsitarian included in its report, Ramirez explained that the reimbursement from government-controlled corporation Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) will only be available after around five to six months.

However, USTH already has P180 million worth of receivables from Philhealth, Ramirez claims.

Despite this issue, Fontanilla assured the public that they are joining the country in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the total cases of which have climbed to 9,223, with 607 patients dead and 1,214 recoveries.

“In the midst of COVID-19, the University of Santo Tomas is one with the nation in its hope and prayer that we shall overcome this global pandemic,” Fontanilla said.