Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) — The Health Department unveiled additional benefits for health professionals who would volunteer to serve at COVID-19 referral hospitals a day after apologizing for only giving them a ₱500 daily allowance.
The Health Department announced Sunday that on top of their daily allowance, volunteer health professionals are also entitled to the same benefits given to all health workers under the Bayanihan to Heal as One law.
This includes a special risk allowance, hazard pay and compensation in case they contract and die of the disease.
The Health Department said the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation will shoulder the medical expenses of volunteer health professionals if they contract the disease.
They would also be compensated ₱100,000 if their condition becomes critical, and their families will receive ₱1-million in case of their death.
Volunteers will also receive transportation allowance, food and lodging for the duration of their service.
Health professionals would also still be given their daily allowance even when they go on quarantine for two weeks after a two-week duty at hospitals, the Health Department said.
Labor group Defend Jobs Philippines earlier slammed the ₱500 allowance for the volunteer health professionals, describing it as “nothing but an insult to our COVID-19 frontliners.”
The Department of Health apologized on Saturday for only giving health professionals a P500 daily allowance, saying that they based this on allowances given to volunteers during previous outbreaks.
Volunteer health professionals will be deployed at the Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City, the Philippine General Hospital in Manila City and Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in Caloocan City for 28 days.
COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged for the second-straight day, with the country reporting an additional 343 new cases of the viral disease on Sunday, bringing the total of those who have contracted it to 1,418.
The death toll due to the disease is now at 71, while recoveries stand at 42.
