MEMBERS of the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) will walk out of their workplaces on Monday and Tuesday, August 30 to 31, 2021, to protest the non-payment of their benefits amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Robert Mendoza, AHW president, said nurses and medical frontliners of the Chinese General Hospital in Manila will lead the walk-out protest on Monday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
On Tuesday, he said medical personnel from the Doctor Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital and Research Institute for Tropical Medicine will also hold a protest action.
Aside from walk-out protests, Mendoza said members nationwide will also hold a noise barrage.
He said they aim to continuously air their sentiments against the government, particularly the Department of Health (DOH) and its secretary Francisco Duque III.
Mendoza said they will not stop until they receive P38,000 worth of meal and transportation allowances from December 2020 to June 2021 as well as the P3,000 monthly duty hazard pay.
"Bago naman ito pinagplanuhan, tiningnan namin ang aming consequences sa pag-aaksyon namin. And so far, meron namang iba pang mga pamamaraan na 'di mapapabayaan ang ating mga pasyente,’" Mendoza said in a television interview.
"Matagal na ring nauunawaan ng ating mga pasyente ang ating laban para sa health and safety ng mga health workers. Hindi lang po ito para sa pansarili naming kapakanan, kasama din sila, para mabigyan din sila ng quality care," he added.
On Saturday, during a Laging Handa press briefing, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire appealed to health workers to not proceed with their plans for the sake of their patients.
“Kami po ay nakikiusap sa ating mga healthcare workers because ito po ay makakaapekto nang maigi sa operations ng ating mga ospital at nakikita naman natin ang kalagayan ng ating mga ospital sa ngayon,” she said.
“Sana ang ganitong klaseng mga pagkilos ay maiwasan natin at bigyang daan natin ang ating pagmamalasakit sa ating mga pasyente,” she added.
Vergeire said the DOH is doing everything it can to address the workers’ complaints.
Earlier, the Department of Budget and Management said it has released P311.79 million to pay the special risk allowances of health workers directly dealing with Covid-19 patients. (SunStar Philippines)