BELEAGUERED Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III on Wednesday ordered the “immediate determination” of the amount from the savings of the Department of Health (DOH) that can be used to pay some health-care workers (HCWs) who have not yet received their special risk allowance (SRA) for the year 2020.
Duque, appearing virtually at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the P67.3-billion Covid funds of the DOH which the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged for “deficiencies,” immediately gave the order after he was urged by Sen. Richard Gordon, the Blue Ribbon chairman, to identify a funding source for the SRAs and other benefits for the HCWs. See related story, “Senators grill DOH, DBM on HCW pay, P42-B fund transfer.”
“Today, I will already order the immediate determination of that amount, your honor,” Duque said adding, “We will look into freeing up of the funds…since today there are still ongoing procurement…. Aayusin namin [We will fix it]. We have to look into it [to see how much we can realign].”
Earlier, Sen. Sonny Angara, main sponsor of the Bayanihan 2 in the Senate, had pointed out that even with the lapse of the two Bayanihan laws, funds for pandemic response such as for the health-care workers can still be given for as long as the President has declared a national emergency. Agencies like DOH can use savings for such.
Gordon, meanwhile, also urged Duque to determine who among his staff were remiss in their jobs, causing the agency’s failure to disburse funds for HCWs.
“Certainly we will look at the documents. We continue to complete the requirements from COA that’s giving us 60 days to give our actions on their recommendations and also our rejoinders to each one of these findings and from there, we will see if in the final audit decision [there is a] notice of disallowance, then that will already trigger the necessary investigation or the process to exact accountability on negligent individuals,” Duque explained.
Duque also assured Gordon he will look into the complaints of HCWs across the country who said they failed to receive the benefits due them.
Filipino Nurses United Secretary-General Jocelyn Andamo told the Senate that some nurses catering to Covid-19 patients have yet to receive their SRA.
“This is really a sad event,” Andamo said in Filipino.
Duque said DOH regional offices are the ones that were tasked to distribute the allowances to hospitals. He noted that the process of validation was conducted.
“Our hospital chiefs need to validate. We cannot just give SRAs to those not catering to Covid patients,” Duque added stressing that SRAs and hazard pay can’t be given to HCWs in non-Covid wards as stipulated under Bayanihan laws.
The Philippine Nurses Association (PNA), on the other hand, welcomed the Senate committee initiative of investigating the issues flagged by COA.
In an interview with the BusinessMirror, PNA National President Melbert B. Reyes expressed hope that the Senate would recommend the filling of appropriate charges if indeed funds were mismanaged by the DOH.
While they play a critical role in the spread of the virus, Reyes admitted that they were saddened upon hearing the reported “irregularities” in Covid funds of the DOH, yet most of them were not able to receive special allowances and hazard pay promised to them.
On the issue of over P67.3 billion “deficiencies,” the DOH earlier said that it has been “mostly resolved” by DOH and its operating units.
The COA 2020 Consolidated Annual Audit Report covers audit findings until December 31, 2020, as such, the DOH said, most of these findings have already been addressed or are currently being addressed.
The DOH Central Office (CO) has closely coordinated with all its operating units composed of 65 DOH hospitals, 16 Centers for Health Development, and 12 Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers, 2 bureaus (Food and Drug Administration and Bureau of Quarantine), and 1 laboratory facility, to provide information to the public on the status and actions taken regarding their respective COA findings.
Findings on fund utilization, recording of donations, grant of meal benefits, and compensation for HCWs were already resolved, DOH officials said.
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