Families of 26 of 32 health workers who died due to COVID given P1M cash benefits
Screengrab of PCOO video/Courtesy PCOO
(Eagle News) — Malacanang said that it is closely monitoring how the Department of Health is distributing the cash benefits for COVID-19 severely affected health care workers, and for the families of 32 health care workers who died due to the virus.
Palace spokesperson Harry Roque said that the DOH had reported so far, that the families of the 26 health care workers who died in the line of duty have been given the P1 million compensation.
Four are still awaiting a special power of attorney (SPA). Two of them have been delisted because they were not reportedly eligible for compensation, while the families of two of the health care workers who died are staying abroad.
“Gaya po ng sinabi ko, babantayan natin ang compensation na ipinangako sa mga bayaning healthcare workers na nagkasakit o namatay sa laban kontra COVID-19. Itong mga benepisyo pong ito ay nakasaad sa batas, sa Bayanihan We Heal as One Act,” Roque said in the regular Malacanang press briefing on Tuesday, June 9.
Meanwhile, only 17 of the health care workers who got severely infected had received their check compensation, while one is ready for “pick-up”, Roque said
“Sa mga nagkasakit naman po na health worker: Labimpito sa labing walo ay nakatanggap na po ng kanilang tseke. Ito po ay one hundred thousand para po sa mga seryosong nagkasakit dahil sa COVID-19; mayroon pa pong isa, for pick-up.”
“Hayaan ninyo po, babantayan pa rin po natin ito,” he said.
Roque said that President Rodrigo Duterte had given the DOH until yesterday to “completely deliver the benefits accorded to our frontliners.”
President Duterte had earlier questioned the DOH’s slow processing of cash benefits for health care workers. He said that the delay of more than two weeks was “totally unacceptable.”
After he got angry, the President designated the medical chief of the Southern Philippines Medical Center, Dr. Leopoldo Vega, as DOH Undersecretary. Roque said that he would be assigned as undersecretary for special operations.
(Eagle News Service)