DOH wants P2.7B more for special risk allowance of healthworkers in 2021

Facade of the DOH main office in Manila. INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) is seeking an additional budget of P2.7 billion for the special risk allowance (SRA) of another 119,353 healthcare workers this year.

During a Senate hearing on the proposed 2022 budget of the DOH, Health Assistant Secretary Maylene Beltran said the agency has submitted its request for an additional budget to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on October 15.

“We already have given our request to DBM with some supplemental justification and supporting papers last October 15 for another total amount of P2.7 billion to cover additional healthcare workers, which has been requested by various healthcare facilities,” Beltran told senators.

“We are still awaiting the response from the DBM because this is still being reviewed by them,” she added.

Beltran said that the additional 119,353 healthcare workers are on top of the original estimate of 526,000 medical staff eligible to receive the SRA.

According to Beltran, 87 percent of the 526,000 health workers have already received their risk allowances.

“We have already provided [SRA to] 456,013 healthcare workers or in short, 87 percent of our estimated 526,727 eligible potential healthcare workers,” the DOH official said.

“As of now we are still processing 13 percent, which is around 70,714 of the total 526,727,” she added.

The DOH has so far distributed P16 billion worth of benefits to health workers, according to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.