Naglunsad ng protesta sa labas ng Deaprtment of Health (DOH) Central Office sa Maynila nitong Miyerkules, Setyembre 1, para himukin ang kawani na ipamahagi na ang matagal nang delayed na benepisyo ng mga healthcare workers (HCWs).
Suot ang kanilang personal protective equipment (PPE) habang hawak ang ilang panawagan at lata, kinalampag ng healthcare workers ang gobyerno ukol sa “non-payment” ng COVID-19 benefits para sa mga HCWs.
“The continued denial of benefits from nurses and other health workers pushes them to leave the domestic health sector and find better work opportunities, if only to save their families from hunger and getting ill. Consequentially, this will deprive millions of Filipinos to access quality care,” sabi ni Filipino Nurses United (FNU) National President Maristela Abenojar.
Maliban sa kanilang special risk allowance (SRA), ilang delayed benefits pa kabilang ang hazard duty pay, life insurance; mealaccommodation, and transportation allowance; compensation for health workers na nagkaroon ng mild, moderate, severe or critical COVID-19; maging ang compensation sa pamilya ng namatay na healthcare workers ay hindi pa rin tinutugunan, sabi ni Abenojar.
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Binatikos din ni Abenojar ang P311 million na pondo para sa SRA na inilabas ng gobyerno kung saan 20,000 health workers lang ang nakapaloob dito, napakalayo sa 500,000 na targeted health workers.
Para sa pangulo ng samahan, lahat ng healthcare workers ay dapat makatanggap ng SRA.
“All health workers deserve SRA given the airborne nature of the virus. In fact, many patients admitted in non-COVID wards later turn out to be positive, exposing a lot of health workers unprepared. This should have been considered and forwarded by the DOH, which was present during the crafting of the provisions under Bayanihan 2,” sabi ni Abenojar.
“From anxious and hopeful, to frustrated and betrayed – this is the feeling of thousands of nurses, who remain unconvinced that they will indeed receive the promised Bayanihan 2 benefits due them,” dagdag nito.
“If there is any praise to be given to DOH, it is to the skill with which they washed their hands clean of their faults and denied their shortcomings–truly nothing short of stellar hygiene. Their just reward, and the next most urgent task: to hold them to account, to have Secretary Francisco Duque III resign and face investigation.”
Panawagang Duque ‘resign now’
Kabilang sa mga panawagan ng mga healthcare workers ang pagbaba sa puwesto ng kasalukuyang DOH Secretary na si Francisco Duque III.
“The deadline we set with the DOH to grant our COVID-19 benefits is finally over. Our patience with Secretary Duque is over. A year has passed but the basic problem confronting health workers in relation to the COVID-19 issue remains,” sabi ni Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) National President Robert Mendoza.
“Enough is enough! Now, let him face our collective call for him to step down and be accountable for his wrongdoings especially in ensuring our health, safety, and welfare,” dagdag niya.
Para kay Mendoza, hindi na karapat-dapat na pamunuan ni Duque ang DOH.
“For the sake of delicadeza, he better step down now. Not ‘when the time comes’ as Sec. Duque insisted but now is the best time for him to leave DOH. We strongly demand for his full accountability and liability,”sabi ni Mendoza.
Hustisya para sa mga HCWs
Simbolo rin ng paghingi ng hustiya para sa mga healthcare workers ang inilunsad na protesta, ayon kay AHW Secretary General Benjamin Santos.
“This fight is not just a matter of fulfilling the economic needs of the healthcare workers but rather this is a fight for justice. We are deprived of our rights to avail what is provided by law,”sabi ni Santos.
Patuloy umano ang panlilinlang ng gobyerno sa mga healthcare workers sa bansa, ayon sa miyembro ng St. Luke’s Medical Center Employees Association na si Jao Clumia.
“Sobra nang panloloko sa mga healthcare workers ang ginagawa ng mga ahensyang ito ng gobyerno. Ang mga pangakong benepisyo ay lagi nalang napapako,” sabi ni Clumia.
“Ang kalagayan ng mga healthcare workers ay maihahalintulad sa isang pasyenteng dinala sa emergency room pero iniwang nakahandusay hanggang sa mag- expire o mamatay,” dagdag nito.
Patuloy na magseserbisyo
Sa kabila ng kondisyon ng mga healthcare workers, patuloy na magsisilbi sa mga Pilipino ang kanilang hanay, sabi ni Mendoza.
“Amidst the COVID-19 surge, health workers who are considered new heroes are extending their extreme sacrifice and dedication to continuously fight COVID-19 and serve their patients while they arduously struggled for their protection, safety, welfare, and ultimately fighting for people’s right to quality health care.”
Analou De Vera
