Senatorial aspirant and retired police general Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar urged the national government to consider allocating special risk allowance to security guards and maintenance personnel of hospitals and other medical facilities that are being used to treat patients of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Eleazar argued that like doctors and nurses and other COVID medical frontliners, security guards, janitors and other maintenance personnel of hospitals and other medical facilities are also frontliners in the government's fight against the deadly virus.
"They are also frontliners. Let us also give them the benefits or incentives that are due to them as payment for their hardwork and sacrifices too," said Eleazar.
Eleazar said the special incentive would further inspire maintenance personnel to work harder and commit to ensuring that all hospitals and clinics will be safe and secure.
Eleazar thought of this proposal after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced that it has released P1.185 billion for the special risk allowance (SRA) of 63,812 eligible healthcare workers who directly catered to or were in contact with COVID-positive patients.
He also suggested that maintenance personnel in public and private hospitals who will be infected with COVID-19 shall be assisted by the government through the provision of a separate financial aid.