By Fernan Angeles
AN organization of Filipino nurses lamented on what it aptly described as selective policy being implemented by the Department of Health.
Citing the case of Sorsogon-based government nurses, the Filipino Nurses United (FNU) said that the DOH “was so quick to respond to Sorsogon Governor Francis Escudero on his call for the health department to look into the plight of the nurses in their province” – but seemed snobbish whenever they make the same call for timely release of salaries and benefits for nurses amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to PNU President Maristella Abenojar, they have always been ignored for quite some time adding that the DOH has not shown the same prompt action when it was them who made the call.
“Nananawagan po kami sa DOH na tugunan itong kahilingan ng ating nurses: iyong timely release ng salaries, back pay, hazard pay, at special risk allowance na nauudlot for several months. Ibigay na natin ‘yan sa kanila,” Abenojar said in a CNN Philippines interview.
“Sana po matugunan. In fact, nauna pa po kaming nagsabi sa inyo (kaysa) kay Governor Chiz Escudero, pero hindi ninyo po kami nasasagot. Sana po this time, mapakinggan iyong boses ng nurses na 60% ng workforce sa health industry,” she added.
Abenojar emphasized the need for the DOH prompt action even as she hinted on their need to provide for their respective families, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Nagugutom rin po ang mga pamilya ng health care workers at affected rin po sila ng COVID-19,” she said.
“Kaya sana pansinin niyo ang panawagang ito,” she added.
Last week, Escudero flagged the non-release of salaries of nine of the 11 nurses that the DOH deployed to the province. Likewise, Escudero said that two of the nurses got their salaries for two months after working for five months, and that the nurses did not also get any benefits “in violation of their contract.”
In response, the DOH said that it will investigate the incident to be able to find out and hold the persons liable for the delayed release of benefits of health workers.
“We will investigate these. Nais po nating ipaalam sa publiko na we do not take these things lightly,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.