RICHARD A. REYES / INQUIRER
MANILA, Philippines — Technical issues are delaying the release of other allowances to healthcare workers attending to COVID-19 patients, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.
“Meron pong mga technical issues sa mga ibang hospital kung bakit hindi pa nila ma-release ang ibang allowances ng ating mga healthcare workers, pero ito po ay inaayos na sa ngayon,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an interview on ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo, but did not elaborate.
(Some hospitals have technical issues that’s why they have yet to release other allowances of healthcare workers, but this is currently being addressed.)
Vergeire added that hospitals should regularly subject their healthcare workers to COVID-19 testing amid the rising number of infected frontliners.
Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / EDWIN BACASMAS)
Healthcare workers are also receiving additional incentives, hazard pay, and risk allowances as they deal with COVID-19 patients.
“Dapat po nabibigyan sila ng accommodation and free meals ng ating mga hospital na kung saan naibaba na po natin ang budget para dito sa mga sinasabi kong benepisyo ng healthcare workers,” she said.
(They should have accommodation facilities and free meals by hospitals. The budget for these benefits has already been released by the DOH.)
Data from the DOH as of March 25 showed that a total of 15,662 healthcare workers have tested positive for COVID-19 since the first case of infection in the country in January last year, including 533 active infections, 15,047 recoveries and 82 deaths.
The country has so far administered a total of 1,139,644 COVID-19 vaccine doses as of April 11, according to Malacañang.
A total of 965,169 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered to healthcare workers since the vaccination drive kicked off last March 1, 2021.