THE Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) on Monday revealed that over 300,000 health-care workers (HCWs) are yet to receive their One Covid-19 Allowance (OCA) from the Department of Health (DOH).
In an interview with ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo, AHW president Robert Mendoza estimated that around 346,000 HCWs are still waiting for their OCA pay.
“The month of July is just around the corner,” Mendoza said in Filipino, stressing that some hospitals have only received their OCA for January or February while some already have their(s) for March or April.
Meanwhile, the DOH invited all concerned to help expedite the release of the OCA.
The DOH said that funds for OCA for January to February 2022 have already been downloaded to the Centers for Health Development (CHDs).
Likewise, the DOH also welcomes closer coordination with all hospitals, including members of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPi), to allow for the fast distribution of the OCA to deserving HCWs.
Earlier, PHAPI president Dr. Jose Rene de Grano said that some private hospitals have yet to receive funds for OCA.
However, he said, they are already waiting for another batch of benefits to be released by the DOH because many of the different hospitals have already submitted their documents.
The DOH reiterated that for the DOH-CHD to transfer funds to private hospitals, rules and regulations require a memorandum of agreement (MOA) and full accounting or liquidation of any funds previously disbursed.
“DOH-CHDs welcome the submission of names of the private hospitals encountering difficulties so that the issues can be addressed immediately,” the DOH said.
It may be recalled that on April 27, President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed Republic Act 11712, which mandates continuing benefits to public and private health workers during the Covid-19 pandemic and other future public health emergencies.
Such covers all healthcare and non-health-care workers, regardless of employment status, during the Covid-19 or other public health emergencies that may be declared in the future, from the time of the declaration of the public health emergency until lifted by the President.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes/BM