BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Provincial Health Office (PHO) said more than P34 million in special risk allowance (SRA) from the national government has already been paid to healthcare workers in Negros Occidental.
According to Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, PHO head, P30 million was released to provincial government-run hospitals and P4 million to those assigned under the PHO.
In the guidelines released by the Department of Health (DOH), the SRA is only for hospital personnel directly involved in treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.
Tumimbang , however, said other hospital staff and PHO personnel are also exposed to COVID-19 patients.
“These are gray areas,” Tumimbang said.
The PHO will submit a new claims list to the DOH.
Earlier, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said they have yet to receive feelers from local health workers threatening a “medical lockdown” due to the non-release of their SRA.
If health workers decide to “walk out” of their jobs it would be very unfortunate, according to Lacson.
The DOH, meanwhile, has made assurances they are addressing the issue./PN
