MANILA, Philippines — Six more families of health workers felled by coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have yet to receive their P1-million compensation, a day before the deadline set by President Rodrigo Duterte for the release of sickness and death compensation is set to lapse.
In a televised press briefing, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday that the death benefit checks for all 32 recipients have already been prepared as of Monday noon, of which 26 families have already received their compensation.
DOH spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said the four remaining families have final pending documents, while the other two families are currently abroad.
“Kasalukuyang inaayos kung sino sa kanilang kamag-anak dito sa Pilipinas ang maaring tumanggap ng tseke on their behalf,” she said.
(We are currently identifying other members of the families here in the country who may receive the checks on their behalf.)
Under Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, health workers who become severely ill in the line of duty are to get compensation of P100,000 while the family of those who died of COVID-19 in the line of duty should get P1 million.
However, it was bared during a recent Senate hearing that the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) on the provision of compensation to medical workers have yet to be finalized, drawing the ire of lawmakers and Duterte, who gave DOH and other concerned government agencies until Tuesday, June 9 to release the compensation of for COVID-19-hit health workers
Meanwhile, 10 out of the initial 42 healthcare workers who contracted severe coronavirus infection have received their P100,000.
“Kasalukuyan naman pong pinoproseso ang apat na tseke at sampu pa po ang iniintay na magsubmit ng mga dokumento (We are currently processing four checks while waiting for the submission of documents of 10 more health workers),” Vergeire said.
Currently, there are 2,734 health workers in the Philippines who were infected with the novel coronavirus, of the number, 32 have died.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines now totaled 22,474 after 579 new infections of COVID-19 were recorded by the DOH.