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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Duterte OKs increase in medical volunteers' risk allowance

Duterte OKs increase in medical volunteers' risk allowance

Published Jan 6, 2022 10:07 pm

Saying that the P5,000 special risk allowance for medical frontliners is “too low,” President Duterte on Thursday, Jan. 6, approved the increase of such allowance due to the surge of coronavirus cases in the country.

(Jansen Romero/MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)

This came after he made a call to medical interns and nurses who have just graduated and are waiting for their board exam results to help in the country’s COVID-19 response.

“This time I would call on my countrymen, the young doctors and nurses waiting for the results of their exams, if you want to help, I can give you the allowance,” he said in his “Talk to the People” public briefing.

”I think that the P5,000 is masyadong maliit (too small) considering the attendance, danger to the guys. They should be given more. You take into the account the possibility of danger na they themselves will get because of the—they have to go near, they have to treat those people,” Duterte added.

The President did not say how much the increase will be because he doesn’t have the budget with him.

READ: DOH seeks additional funds for special risk allowance of more health workers

He said money shouldn’t be a problem because Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III is a “very resourceful person.”

Duterte also said the country can borrow money from the World Bank once more to pay the medical volunteers.

“Ubusin natin ang pera nitong gobyernong ‘to para sa nyo (Let’s spend all the money of this government for you),” he addressed to frontliners.

A post by Dr. Beng Rivera-Reyes went viral for showing that her special risk allowance for six months was only P2,045.45.

The ICU bed occupancy rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) rose from 37 percent on Wednesday, Jan. 5, to 43 percent on Thursday, Jan. 6.

Health experts also warned that the country’s health care system can be overwhelmed because medical frontliners are getting sick due to the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant.

Related Tags

special risk allowance President Duterte COVID-19 response carlos dominguez iii medical volunteers OMICRON VARIANT
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