Unreleased health worker benefits to be probed
A congresswoman has filed a resolution seeking to investigate the Health department鈥檚 alleged failure to release benefits and allowances to health workers under the country鈥檚 second stimulus package.听
鈥淭he Department of Health (DoH)听should determine the reasons for such failure and identify viable solutions to give healthcare workers the benefits due to them,鈥澨齅arikina Rep. Stella Luz A. Quimbo听said in House Resolution 2121.听
She also听sought the passage of a third stimulus measure that is still pending at the Senate.听
Meanwhile, Senator Richard J. Gordon, Sr. said health workers should get the active hazard duty pay听and special听risk allowance that the government had promised them.听
鈥淚t is under the law that you receive justified support, not just cash aid,鈥 he said in Filipino during a dialogue with health workers on Thursday.听
Under听the law,听qualified medical workers听will get听hazard pay and听allowance. DoH in June said听P9 billion听had been released for health workers.听But听various groups of health workers听said many of them had yet to receive the benefits.听
Meanwhile,听Saudi Arabia has offered to host more Filipino nurses during bilateral discussions with the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.听
Foreign Affairs听Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr.听spoke with his Saudi counterpart听Adel Bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir听on and phone and discussed听issues of mutual interest.听
鈥淭he听kingdom offered again to host more Filipino nurses where they are deeply appreciated; not depreciated and detained back home,鈥澨齢e tweeted.听
About听a tenth听of the Philippines鈥 health workers live in poor households,听while听more than听80 % belong to the middle class or higher, according to a听University of the Philippines Population Institute听report last year.听
Mr. Al-Jubeir told Mr. Locsin to give听Filipino听health workers听鈥渁 chance to earn decent living and up their skill set, then get recruited by Western countries,听which is fine with the听kingdom.鈥澨听Russell听Louis C. Ku听and Alyssa Nicole O. Tan听
