GOVERNMENT NURSES FIGHT FOR DELAYED MONTHLY PAY

Send FeedBack 28 December 2012 08:40:47 AM Writer: Eduardo A. Galvez, Media Relations Servce-PRIB

Some 30,000 registered nurses who were hired by the government in 2011 under Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement and Local Service (RN-HEALS) Project are not receiving their meager monthly salary of only P8,000, according to a lawmaker.

Rep. Teddy Casio (Party-list, Bayan Muna), author of House Resolution 2926, said the registered nurses are complaining of delayed and unpaid allowances as stipulated in their contract. They also said their monthly pay is way below the mandated salary level of government. Casio urged the House Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation to conduct an inquiry into the matter and invite the officials of the Department of Health (DOH) and other stakeholders to shed light on the issue. "Congress should look into the plight and working conditions of registered nurses which negatively affect their morale and dignity as professionals based on the Philippine Nursing Act and the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers," Casio said. Under the RN-HEALS Project, the DOH hired some 30,000 nurses from February 2011 to March 2012. The agency is also planning to hire another 22,500 more nurses with a budget of P2.16 billion through the agency's P53.055 billion annual budget. While on deployment, the nurses will be given an allowance of P8,000 a month by the DOH while the local government unit (LGU) where they are assigned shall supervise them, ensure their safety and security, and provide modest board and lodging. Likewise, LGUs are encouraged to provide additional allowances and benefits worth at least P2,000 to these nurses. Casio said RN-HEALS nurses were supposed to receive P8,000 as monthly salary, GSIS group accident insurance, PhilHealth medical insurance, and a Certificate of Competency and Employment. "The P8,000 monthly salary of registered nurses proved to be inadequate for their basic needs,

including transportation, meals and communication. The stipend is way below the mandated salary level of government nurses pegged at P18,549 by Joint Resolution No. 4 or the Salary Standardization Law," Casio said. Casio said the nurses have been reportedly treated as second class nurses, taking the blame for errors made by others, and made to perform the tasks of nursing aides. Casio said that about 95 registered nurses in Virac, Catanduanes have been complaining of two to three weeks of delay in allowances and unpaid P2,000 additional allowances and meals. "The RN-HEALS is a training and development project for currently unemployed nurses for the improvement of local health systems and support the country's attainment of Millennium Development targets," as stated in Joint memorandum Circular No. 2011-0044 of the DOH and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The local government units will provide an additional monthly support of P2,000 to those nurses assigned in their areas, while hospitals will provide meals amounting to P2,000 per month, based on the Joint Memorandum Circular and DOH Department Order No. 2011-0239, respectively. However, the certificate of employment to be received by RN HEALS nurses was changed to a "Certificate of Completion" in September 2011. The certificate in question then became a "Certificate of Competency and Deployment" in January 2012 by succeeding DOH department orders. Casio said the nurses perform the duties of regular staff nurses, handle as many patients, sometimes work more than eight hours in a shift but are not provided with overtime pay and other benefits including medicines and treatment when they get injured or sick. Casio cited Section 10 of the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers or Republic Act 7305 saying "there shall be no understaffing or overloading of public health workers. The ratio of health staff-to-patient load shall be such as to reasonably effect a sustained delivery of quality health care at all times without overworking the public health worker and over extending his or her duty and service. Health students and apprentices shall be allowed only for purposes of training and education."

Source: http://www.congress.gov.ph/press/details.php?pressid=6691

President Aquino to allocate P294-million for more nurses, midwives President Benigno S. Aquino III instructed Department of Budget and Management (DBM) toallocate 294 million pesos for the employment of qualified nurses and midwives that will bedeployed to all municipalities, cities and health facilities throughout the country.Florencio B. Abad, Budget and Management secretary, said that the fund release is for theRegistered Nurses for Health Enhancement and Local Service (RNheals)Project of theDepartment of Health.The P294-million fund release is for the deployment of not only qualified nurses but alsomidwives to create a pool of registered health professionals with enhanced clinical and publichealth competencies towards the improvement of health care services delivery in the country.This project likewise aims to address the shortage of nurses in the country, Abad said.He added the project is also aligned with the governments commitment to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UN MDGs), particularly in improving maternal healthand reducing child mortality rates.DOH deployed the first batch of RNheals nurses in 1,021 conditional cash transfer (CCT) areasidentified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in February 2011. Itcomprised of about 75 percent of CCT areas nationwide.There was a positive response from the project stakeholders so we decided to expand the projectto cover all municipalities, cities and health facilities in the country. This idea is to set our goalstowards achieving the Universal Health Care commitment of the government, Abad said.The funding will allot the employment of 10,000 nurses and 1,000 rural health midwives. The program starts this October to December 2011.The program will give nurses P8,000 monthly allowances while midwives will be given P6,000monthly. Both will be provided with the Philhealth Insurance worth P1,200 yearly, groupaccident insurance enrolment of P500 per year, and a certificate of completion after satisfactorycompletion of the project.DOH hospitals will provide meals for the nurses during their tour of duty, equivalent to at leastP2,000 per month. Nurses and midwives assigned in the Rural Health Units (RHUs) shall followthe provisions of Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2011-0044 entered last August 2011specifically the additional allowance of at least P2,000 per month from local government units(LGUs). Source: http://www.scribd.com/doc/74004240/RNHEALS