Philippine health care workers outraged by volunteers’ allowance

HUNDREDS of medical workers have signed up to help the Philippine government’s fight against Covid-19 despite being offered a small fee for a highrisk job, a situation that has sparked outrage from health care groups.

The Department of Health apologized for causing anger with the proposed benefit package for the volunteers, who were offered an allowance of 500 pesos (10 dollars) for every 8-hour shift for 14 days.

“We acknowledge the anger and hurt that our call for health care warriors has caused,” the department said in a statement on Sunday.

“As fellow health workers, we would like to offer our sincerest apologies.”

Nearly 700 volunteers have signed up on the Department of Health’s online portal since it was set up on Friday for doctors, nurses, orderlies and other medical workers to be assigned in dedicated Covid-19 centres set up by the government.

Aside from the allowance, the volunteers were also offered insurance coverage that would pay 100,000 pesos if they get sick and 1 million pesos if they die. But doctors and nurses’associations have found the offer insulting, and urged the government and private hospitals to hire medical workers instead of calling for volunteers, as well as to ensure that they have proper protective gear.

“Do not make us the sacrificial lambs in this fight against Covid-19,” said Maristela Abenojar, national president of the Filipino Nurses United.