Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the payment of risk allowances and hazard pay to health workers and has asked the health and budget ministries to arrange funds for the same.
This follows as the healthcare workers unions have warned to go on strike and nurses threatened to resign due to non-payment of benefits to them.
Hospitals fear that they could be headed for a critical point just as the Delta variant sends infection cases soaring.
RELATED STORY: Demand for Pinoy nurses doubles during COVID pandemic
“Pay them. Use whatever money there is,” Duterte told Health Minister Franscisco Duque.
The order came after union leaders in hospitals threatened last week to go on strike while a nursing group said dozens could resign over unpaid risk allowances and hazard pay. This could add pressure to facilities battling staff shortages.
According to the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAPi) estimates 40% of private hospital nurses resigned last year while more followed new waves of infections this year. The public hospitals face similar staffing challenges.
READ ON: Nurses branded as ‘heroes’ in USA
In a recorded speech aired on Saturday, Duterte gave the Department of Budget and Management 10 days to help settle unpaid benefits of nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers in public and private hospitals.
Currently the COVID-19 infections in the Philippines stand at more than 1.8 million which rank as Southeast Asia’s second highest while the country reported the highest one day increase on Friday. The deaths have exceeded 31,000, which are under 2% of total cases.
Duterte who is facing criticism for poor handling of the pandemic has said that there was no corruption at the health ministry. (AW)
