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‘Increase’ in health budget deceiving – Alliance of Health Workers

Thursday, February 16, 2012

“Under the Aquino administration, public health services are no longer free but they come for a fee.” – Alliance of Health Workers
By INA ALLECO SILVERIO
Bulatlat.com

Employees in the health sector led by the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) and allied organizations under the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) held a protest action in Mendiola, on Valentines Day, against the policy of the Benigno Aquino III administration of “cutting allocations for health services and benefits of rank and file health workers.”


(Photo by Ina Alleco Silverio / bulatlat.com)
The AHW is opposing the Department of Health (DOH) department order no. 2012-0002, which effectively reduces the subsistence and laundry allowance of health workers by P30/working day ($0 .70) and P130/month ($3.02) respectively. The group has already sought clarification from the Department of Budget and Management (BDM), but the agency insisted that the reduction of benefits was “a policy decision.”

In the meantime, the AHW is also wary against the delay in the release, or worse, the probable reduction or removal of their hard-won benefits such as hazard pay and others stipulated in the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers (RA 7305) because the DBM decided to take away the “savings” in the unfilled plantilla positions from which the benefits are sourced.

Last month on January 11, the DOH released order number 2012-0002 addressed to all undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, bureau/service directors, medical center chiefs of all government-run hospitals regarding the payment of magna carta benefits to officials and employees of the DOH.


(Photo by Ina Alleco Silverio / bulatlat.com)
In it, the DOH led by secretary Enrique Ona said the subsistence allowance and laundry allowance of employees will be adjusted effective that same month. The memo also declared that the payment of hazard and longevity pay charged from any available savings of all government health offices and hospitals will be subject to the DBM’s approval.

Increase in health budget goes to contractualization,PPP schemes

AHW national president Jossel Ebesete said the Aquino government has been imposing budget cuts in the operations of most public hospitals. Since 2010, the government, Ebesete said, has been reducing allotments for direct service provisions like vaccinations, as well as removing subsidies for the hospitalization needs of indigent patients..... MORE

SourceBulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/02/16/increase-in-health-budget-deceiving-%E2%80%93-alliance-of-health-workers/

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