Tuesday, June 17, 2008 Release hazard pay: Talisay health workers
MORE than 40 health workers in Talisay are demanding for the total release of their hazard pay, an incentive they considered as long overdue.
For the second time, health workers sought the help of the Visayas Ombudsman as City Hall released only 10 percent of the mandated 25 percent hazard pay in August last year.
They added that the City also failed to include in the annual budget the allocation for their full hazard pay, which reportedly represents 25 percent of their basic salary, this year.
Employees
Some 42 health employees, including doctors, nurses, midwives and support staffers, are working in three Rural Health Units (RHUs) in Talisay City.
They have been calling on the City to comply with the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers that explicitly provides the hazard pay incentive.
A ranking health officer, who asked not to be named, was hoping that the City Council would include in the next supplemental budget their hazard pay.
This incentive was supposed to be granted following the Magna Carta’s approval in 2000, the officer said.
Acting on the demand, the anti-graft office summoned Mayor Socrates Fernandez, Vice Mayor Lani Abarquez, City Legal Officer Owen Algoso and City Budget Officer Edgar Mabunay to appear in a conference with health personnel today.
A source said the three RHUs will only have a skeletal force to attend to the medical needs of the Talisaynons, as majority of the health workers will attend the conference.
The retirement of two RHU physicians – Dr. Virgilio Tangarorang and Dr. Milagros Carloto - had affected the health services of RHU in Talisay last year.
In their absence, Dr. Lino Alanzado, city health office chief, temporarily supervised the operations of the RHUs. (GC)
