Medical technologists also getting COVID-19, group asks for timely release of allowance

Some medical technologists have also contracted COVID-19, and a group representing them has appealed for the just and timely release of their benefits.

Philippine Association of Medical Technologists (PAMET) asked for the release of the hazard pay and special risk allowance of medical technologists working in the government and private sector, according to a report on GMA's Unang Balita on Monday.

According to PAMET president Rommel Saceda, most of the medical technologists with COVID-19 have mild or moderate cases.

Medical technologists are the ones examining specimens taken during swab tests to check for COVID-19.

"Sa ngayon ay talagang kinukulang na kami ng medical technologist dahil majority ngayon ng medtech ay tinatamaan na rin ng COVID-19," Saceda said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday.

(For now we are lacking medical technologists because majority of them have COVID-19.)

"Sapat ang supply ng aming PPE, pero ang hazard pay ay sana maging consistent ang pagbibigay sa ating mga medical technologist at sa lahat ng frontliners," he said.

(Our supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) is enought, but we hope the hazard pay will be consistently given to our medical technologists and all frontliners.)

"Sa special risk allowance o SRA sa ngayon ay hindi pa lahat naibibigay kaya kami ay nanawagan na sana maibigay sa tamang oras yung mga dapat na para sa ating mga frontliners," Saceda said.

(Not everyone has received the special risk allowance of SRA. We are thus appealing for the timely release of SRA for frontliners.)

"Sana yung SRA ay gawing across the board ibig kong sabihin ay sana maging ang private sectors ay makatanggap dahil lahat naman tayo ay expose sa virus," he added.

(We hope the SRA will be granted across the board, meaning private sector workers too will receive it because we are all exposed to the virus.) —KG, GMA News