Poe to PhilHealth: Don't wait for Senate to investigate; reimburse hospitals ASAP

Sen. Grace Poe asked the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to work harder to expedite the release of funds to hospitals and health workers, as the country faces fierce threats from the Delta variant.

"We've been in this trying situation for over a year and both the DBM and PhilHealth have last year's experience to draw from to improve their services in the next round of ECQ (enhanced community quarantine)," Poe said.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency, with healthcare workers and hospitals serving without letup in the frontlines.

"We must do our utmost for the health sector and ensure that our medical frontliners and hospitals are paid to enable them to look after the sick and save lives. For as long as this isn't done, our situation will just drag on. Huwag na nating paabutin pa ng season 10 ang ECQ," Poe reiterated.

Calls on the said agencies for the timely release of funds needed to combat the pandemic have been repeatedly made by various institutions.

"With COVID-19 cases on the rise again, our hospitals must be adequately staffed and stocked with the needed supplies. They can only do so if they themselves aren't bleeding. We ought not to exacerbate an already tenuous situation by demoralizing our medical frontliners," Poe stressed.

Some medical workers from both private and public hospitals said last July 25 that they hardly felt the billions of pesos allocated for frontliners under the Bayanihan 1 and 2. For one, in spite of the significant budget, they said they have yet to receive their special risk allowance.

Between now and the start of the new ECQ on Aug. 6, the government is called upon to make good use of the time to provide people what they need in the next two weeks so they wouldn't need to go out of their homes and risk contracting the disease or being accosted by the police.

"People will not insist on going out if they can put food on the table. They wouldn't have to go out if their needs are met," Poe said.

Each week of ECQ would cost the economy P105 billion in foregone output, the National Economic and Development Authority earlier said.

At least 167,000 workers in Metro Manila face layoffs and pay cuts in the two-week lockdown, data from the Department of Labor and Employment showed.

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[FILIPINO VERSION]

Poe sa PhilHealth: 'Wag nang hintaying mag-imbestiga ang Senado; mga ospital, bayaran na

Nanawagan si Sen. Grace Poe sa Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) at Department of Budget and Management (DBM) na kumilos kaagad upang mapabilis ang pagpapalabas ng pondo na pambayad sa mga pagamutan at health workers habang kinakaharap ng bansa ang banta ng Delta variant.

"Mahigit isang taon na tayong naghihirap nang ganito, at kapwa may karanasan na ang DBM at PhilHealth noong nakaraang taon na mapagbabasehan nila para mapahusay ang kanilang serbisyo sa pagsapit ng panibagong ECQ (enhanced community quarantine)," ayon kay Poe.

Isang public health emergency ang pandemya ng COVID-19, na kung saan nagsisilbi nang walang patid ang mga healthcare worker at pagamutan sa bansa.

"Kailangang gawin natin ang lahat para sa health sector at tiyakin ang kompensasyon para sa ating mga medical health worker at pagamutan upang makapagligtas sila ng buhay. Kapag hindi naisagawa ito, lalala ang ating sitwasyon. Huwag na nating paabutin pa ng season 10 ang ECQ," giit ni Poe.

Marami ng institusyon ang nanawagan sa naturang mga ahensiya na kaagad ipalabas ang pondong kailangan upang labanan ang pandemya.

"Habang tumataas na naman ang kaso ng COVID-19, dapat sapat ang tauhan at supplies ng ating mga pagamutan. Magagawa nila ang lahat ng kanilang makakaya kung sila mismo ay hindi dinurugo. Hindi natin dapat palubhain pa ang kasalukuyang mahirap na sitwasyon sa pamamagitan ng demoralisasyon sa ating mga medical frontliner," giit ni Poe.

Ilang medical worker mula sa pribado at pampublikong pagamutan ang nagsabi noong Hulyo 25 na hirap na hirap silang maramdaman ang bilyong pisong inilaan sa mga frontliner sa ilalim ng Bayanihan 1 at 2. Sa kabila ng malaking badyet, sinabi nila na hindi pa nila natatanggap ang special risk allowance.

Sa pagitan ngayon at ng panibagong ECQ sa Agosto 6, ipinananawagan sa gobyernong gamitin ang nalalabing panahon upang bigyan ang mamamayan ng kanilang pangangailangan sa susunod na dalawang linggo upang hindi na sila lumabas pa ng kanilang tahanan at suungin ang panganib ng sakit.

"Hindi magpupumilit ang ating mga kababayang lumabas kung may sapat na pagkain sa kanilang hapag-kainan. Hindi na sila lalalabas pa kung natutugunan ang kanilang pangangailangan," ayon kay Poe.

Kada linggo ng ECQ, aabot sa P105 bilyon ang nalulugi sa ekonomiya, ayon sa pagtataya ng National Economic and Development Authority.

Aabot naman sa mahigit 167,000 manggagawa sa Metro Manila ang mawawalan ng trabaho at sahod sa loob ng dalawang linggong lockdown, ayon sa datos ng Department of Labor and Employment.