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