Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Wednesday said private hospitals are the ones accountable for the release of benefits to COVID-19 healthcare frontliners as his department was quizzed by senators over delayed payments.
“Yung mga ospital ng private entities na mga ito, sila ang actually may accountability dahil sila po ang nakakakila doon sa kanilang mga healthcare workers,” Duque said during a Senate blue ribbon committee hearing.
“May proseso ho sila diyan. Meron ho silang human resource office to properly identify who should be the legitimate recipients of these benefits,” he added.
Based on the DOH’s presentation to the Senate, the department has obligated over P7.1 billion in benefits from September 15, 2020 until June 30 this year under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act.
“Lahat ho ng makakaya namin, ginawa namin para ma-disburse at makarating po talaga sa healthcare worker yung karampatang SRA (special risk allowance) po na dapat nilang ma-receive,” DOH Assistant Secretary Maylene Beltran said.
But several healthcare groups told senators many of their members have yet to receive the said incentive.
Even senators said they have received messages that their benefits are still unpaid, with Senator Joel Villanueva pointing out that obligating funds does not necessarily mean they were disbursed or used.
“It collides with everybody who were saying na ultimo San Lazaro Hospital, hindi natanggap lahat,” said Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Blue Ribbon committee. “Sinong nagsasabi ng totoo dito?”
“Ang dami dami rito ‘di raw umaabot. Yun ay fraud, yun ay corruption kung hindi umaabot, saan napupunta yung pera?” he also said.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, meanwhile, noted the feedback of healthcare workers from across the country.
“Hindi sila nakakatanggap. So something’s got to give, ano ba talaga ang totoo? DOH says it released this certain millions of funds to hospitals but on the other end, sinasabi ng mga nurse, hindi nila natatanggap. There’s a problem,” she said.
During the hearing, the DOH and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) pointed fingers over supposed time constraints that led to the delayed disbursement of allowances promised to healthcare workers.