DOH: P76.1 B COVID-19 allowance for health workers disbursed

 

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday said that it has disbursed a total of P76.1 billion as of March 19, 2024 for the health emergency allowance (HEA) of eligible public and private health workers in the country.

According to the DOH, this amount covers 8,549,207 claims filed from July 1, 2021, to July 20, 2023.

The health department explained that it had received P19.9 billion for HEA in the programmed appropriations of the 2024 national budget, of which P19.7 billion or 99 percent has already been distributed to eligible health facilities.

The DOH, however, noted that an estimated P27 billion is still needed to settle its debt to health facilities.

“The DOH, through its Centers for Health Development in the regions, has been working with private and local government unit (LGU)-owned hospitals and health facilities. The law requires DOH to have Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) and to wait for full liquidation by these LGU and private hospitals of HEA funds already paid, before subsequent releases of additional funds,” it said in a statement.

The DOH is referring to Republic Act (RA) No. 11712, also known as the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances for Health Care Workers Act, which mandates that health workers receive HEAs based on their risk exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Continuing its statement, the DOH further said that it is working “hand-in-hand” with the Department of Budget and Management to grant HEAs to all eligible health workers.

“We are ready to release the funds as soon as the concerned private and LGU hospitals will comply with the law that requires liquidation,” it said.

Under R.A. No. 11712, health workers who responded during a “state of public health emergency” shall be granted HEAs for every month of service, ranging from P3,000 for workers deployed in low-risk areas to P9,000 for those deployed in high-risk areas.

The law also says that the HEA must be released monthly. However, health workers from public hospitals who responded during the COVID-19 pandemic are only now receiving their allowances, some two years after filing their claims.

Meanwhile, those in private and LGU-owned hospitals are still waiting for their HEAs.