The immediate and well-organized distribution of Covid-19 benefits for health care workers in the Philippines was sought anew.
Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPI) President Dr. Jose Rene de Grano called on the national government to speed up the distribution of the “much-needed” benefits to Filipino health care workers.
“Nagkaroon tayo ng tinatawag nating Special Risk Allowance (SRA). After SRA ay nagkaroon tayo ng OCA o yung tinatawag nating One Covid-19 Allowance. Napakarami pang pribadong hospital na hindi nabibigyan nyan. Yung iba nabigyan until January lamang (We had what we call SRA. After SRA, we had OCA or One Covid-19 Allowance. There are still many private hospitals who have yet to receive that. The others were given but only until January),” said de Grano in a Laging Handa public briefing on Thursday, Nov. 24.
The distribution, according to de Grano, should cover the first half of 2022.
“Tama ang sinasabi . Ito ay isinabatas nila, binigyan ng pondo. Bakit ang nangyayari ay pinapahirapan pa nila at nagkakaroon pa ng bottleneck na ganyan? (The health workers are right. They legislated it, funded it. Why is it that they are making it difficult to release the benefits and creating a bottleneck like that?),” asked de Grano.
“Bottleneck,” a term used to describe a “point of congestion” that sometimes slows or halts the progress in a certain system.
De Grano added that they remain thankful that some health care workers have received their benefits, but the expert likewise stressed that all eligible health professionals shall receive their well-earned benefits.