The Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH WV CHD) acknowledges the various concerns raised by some health care workers relative to their Special Risk Allowance (SRA) and is acting on them, Dr. Adriano Suba-an, DOH 6 regional director, said Monday, August 16.
The grant of the COVID-19 SRA is stipulated in the Joint Circular No. 2 series of 2020 of the DOH and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). It covers both public and private health workers who are directly catering to or are in contact with COVID-19 patients, Suba-an said in a press release.
The grant of SRA not exceeding P5,000 per month that they are physically on duty is in recognition of the health workers’ heroic and invaluable contributions by being at the forefront of the national effort to address this COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
DOH clarifies that those eligible to receive the SRA are public health workers assigned in hospitals, laboratories or medical and quarantine facilities; private health care workers assigned in designated COVID-19 units of hospitals, laboratories, or medical and quarantine facilities as certified by DOH; and health care workers who physically report for work at their assigned work stations on the prescribed official working hours, as authorized by the head of office which placed them in direct contact with COVID-19 patients, he said.
The grant of the COVID-19 SRA is pro-rated based on the number of days that health workers physically report for work in a month as certified by their head of office, he added.
The DOH allocated the corresponding amount for SRA based on the list of eligible health workers submitted by the head of office — whether hospital or local government unit. The determination of the grant of SRA is based on the list submitted by the head of office as it also indicated the amount due to the personnel and the days they were physically present, Suba-an said.
In some areas, there was a delay in releasing the SRA due to the late submission of documentary requirements among others, such as the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) from LGUs and other health facilities to facilitate the transfer of funds and the actual payment, he said.
The COVID-19 has also affected some personnel which hampered the processing of documents, he said.
The WV CHD has been in receipt of some of these complaints and is now coordinating with concerned medical center chiefs and heads of offices for clarification and the necessary course of action, Suyba-an said.
The DOH WV CHD appeals to all health workers for understanding as this particular concern is being looked into even as it cited the great contribution of health care workers in this pandemic, he said.*