PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte approved the release of P1.185 billion for healthcare workers in the private sector, including non-Department of Health (DOH) plantilla personnel, who have yet to receive their Special Risk Allowance (SRA).
According to Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Duterte ordered that the funds be sourced from the remaining contingent fund in 2021.
This is for the healthcare workers who directly took care of or had contact with COVID-19 patients.
This will be an additional fund to the P8.189-billion released earlier by the Department of Budget and Management for the 497,042 healthcare workers in government and in the private sector.
Relatedly, the senator appealed to the DOH and healthcare institutions to be flexible in handing out the SRA and not limit the payouts only to those who take care of COVID-19 patients.
He said that those who work in hospitals and other medical facilities all face the danger of contracting the COVID-19 disease.