DHS on Healthcare Workers and Compensation

The Ask the Experts session by the Ministry of Health is a good source for COVID-19 updates. One of the issues that came up a couple times was the compensation available for frontline workers, such as nurses.  The Nurses Association has sent out a release with at least six concerns of the profession.  They say they are not aware of where isolation of nurses will be done, coverage for themselves and their families and that there is not sufficient protective equipment.  The association also warns that the preparedness plan has been rolled out too late, infrastructure is lacking and the transportation of nurses to and from work is problematic.   Here’s the response from Director of Health Services to questions from the viewers on the issue:

Marvin Manzanero

Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services

“Will nurses be getting hazardous allowance and be given a proper place to stay to rest since they won’t be going home. Every region has been asked to identify areas and I think all regions have said this is where you are going to stay. The hazardous allowance is something that I think is warranted and not only that. I think frontline workers that are able to go and see patients should be compensated. Incentive allowances and all of that – of course, that is a process that we are going to lobby for and we have been lobbying for all of that and that kicks in once we start seeing those patients. If you ask me, for example, the doctor in San Pedro who has been doing a good job of heading a team of contact tracing and he is also one of the frontline workers who has been directly exposed and that needs to be compensated somehow.”