Benefits only for 'high-risk workers,' top Tupas aide says
The Capitol has now officially spoken on the P30 million issue of the Iloilo Health Workers Association (IHWA) thrown against Governor Niel Tupas, Sr.
Yes, "hazard pay" is due to health workers. But no, not everybody under the Capitol's employ are qualified to receive said benefit. As such, provincial doctors, nurses, medical and para-medical personnel in various Iloilo hospitals will have to be screened as to who among them are exposed to "high risk hazard." Then a list will be drawn and submitted to the Department of Health (DOH) for review. And from the approved pre-screened list will come the final list of the qualified "hazard pay" beneficiaries with the governor stressing its full commitment to the implementation of the provisions as so stated in the Magna Carta for Public Health Workers otherwise known as RA 7305.
"Earnest efforts have been exerted to provide our health workers with benefits accruing to them under the said law," Capitol lawyer Salvador Cabaluna III wrote IHWA while adding to "please consider" further provisions on same law particularly the entitlement and determination of personnel exposed to hazard.
"Only those employees considered to be occupying positions exposed to high risk hazard shall be granted the corresponding hazard pay," Cabaluna continued as he went to note that no additional appropriations in the national budget were made to accommodate the benefits set in the Health Workers' Magna Carta.
Since 1992 up to present, Cabaluna pointed out, that the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share for devolved hospitals has remained to about P81 million. Yet with the devolution came over P268 million in hospital expense for personal services, maintenance and other operating expenses.
"Nonetheless, the Province of Iloilo has already provided for the subsistence allowance of the health workers. Thus, there has been partial compliance with the provisions of RA 7305 even amidst serious budget constraints," Cabaluna ended.
Earlier, IHWA threatened to file a multi-million suit against Tupas over the issue.
Tupas reportedly met with the province's hospital chiefs last weekend in a last ditch attempt to settle the problem but to no avail.
The issues raised by the doctors and other health workers focused on Capitol's failure to release the mandatory "hazard pay." What was reportedly dangled to them was the "cash gift" yet as one district hospital physician retorted, "we want the benefit due to us. How can they make it appear that the 'cash gift' is more than enough? And no money they say? That's a lot of foolishness."
In a related development, several provincial health workers are reportedly planning to withdraw membership from IHWA in order not to be entangled in the row between Tupas and the organization.