A nurse vaccinates a senior citizen who ignored claims against COVID-19 vaccines. —INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday reported it already gave more than P86.5 million worth of benefits to healthcare workers under the One COVID-19 Allowance (OCA) since January.
The DOH said in a statement that a total of P86,507,118 were released to 54 health facilities since the start of the year while P403,492,881 has been allocated to 266 health facilities and now “readily available.”
“However, it is pending and for issuance of check due to lack of submitted documents, especially the signed Memorandum of Agreement and liquidation report from the previously transferred funds to the health facility,” it explained.
The DOH also reported that disbursements for Special Risk Allowance (SRA), Meals, Accommodation, and Transportation (MAT) Allowance, and COVID-19 Sickness and Death Compensation are still ongoing.
It said that for SRA, a total of P639,961,524 has been issued to 234 health facilities since February, including the P581,302,189 that were already claimed by 218 health facilities, while P58,659,335 for 16 health facilities has remained unclaimed.
A total of P80,768,000, meanwhile, has been released to 47 health facilities for MAT – P76,631,000 claimed by 34 health facilities and P4,137,000 still unclaimed by 13 health facilities.
For COVID-19 Death Compensation, on the other hand, a total amount of P180,000 had already been released to 12 health workers from the amount released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) this May while P7,020,000 is ready for claiming by 468 claimants while awaiting completion of their requirements.
“Every fund transferred to the health facilities needs to be liquidated before we can release succeeding funds, thus, even if we are ready to release their checks, most of them have not yet liquidated previous funds transferred to them,” DOH-Metro Manila Regional Director Gloria Balboa said in the same statement.
The DOH then vowed to “continuously improve its operations to expedite the distribution of the aforementioned benefits.”
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