Health workers to protest over unpaid benefits

Health workers from both public and private sectors are considering a mass protest due to the government's failure to release their benefits, despite their role on the frontlines of the pandemic.

Robert Mendoza, national president of the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW), stated that the protest aims to air grievances regarding the DOH's refusal to provide COVID-19 benefits, safety, and protection.

He highlighted that health workers are deprived of their just and timely COVID-19 benefits, including meal, transportation, and accommodation allowance, Special Risk Allowance, and Active Hazard Duty Pay.

Cristy Donguines, president of the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center Employees Union-AHW, noted that many health workers are overworked, are taking early retirement, or have resigned due to fear of infection, leading to severe understaffing.

Donguines mentioned that this understaffing results in health workers having to go on duty for 12 to 24 hours.

The AHW assured the public that a skeletal workforce would remain in hospitals to ensure continued medical services during the protest.