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Updated August 21st, 2021 at 19:28 IST

Philippines president Duterte orders to release healthcare workers' benefits in 10 days

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the health and budget ministries to immediately release pending payments for staff involved in the COVID-19 treatment.

Reported by: Ajeet Kumar
Philippines
(Image Credit: ANI/AP) | Image:self
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As the Philippines facing an acute shortage of healthcare workers amid the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, on August 21, Saturday, ordered the health and budget ministries to immediately release pending payments for the staff involved in the treatment and vaccination. This recent order from the President came after repeated mass resignation and strike warnings by health care unions. According to the Philippines' Department of Health (DOH), the country has reported 16,694 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, the second-highest one-day tally since the outbreak in January last year. DOH said that the coronavirus variants, including the more virulent Delta, are driving the country's new wave of virus transmission. Other factors contributing to the virus spread include non-compliance with safety protocols, slow contact tracing and detection.

Government cites "budget issues" for non-payment 

As the cases are mounting tremendously with each passing day, the health workers have been submitting their resignations since the pandemic hit the country last year. According to local media reports, the government has failed to clear the dues of health care workers, citing "budget issues". The statement demotivated the medical staff, who are working tirelessly by risking their lives amid the covid pandemic, resulted in the mass resignation of nursing staff. According to a report of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAPi), it is estimated that around 40 per cent of private hospital nurses resigned last year. After the delta variant hit the country this year, many nursing staff tendered their resignation.

Subsequently, on Saturday, President Rodrigo Duterte directed the Department of Budget and Management to clear all the dues of the healthcare workers within ten days to avoid further mismanagement reports. It is worth mentioning that the government has been facing huge criticism for using more than $1 billion in COVID-19 spending, including non-payment of medical workers' benefits. Despite months of varying degrees of lockdown that started in March last year, the Philippines still grapples with surging infections. The Philippine capital reimposed a two-week hard lockdown for the second time this year, beginning on August 6, to curb the Delta surge.

Image Credit: ANI/AP

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Published August 21st, 2021 at 19:28 IST

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