Yesterday, the health commission of the Legislative Assembly approved the favorable opinion that will allow the central government to compensate for the extra effort made by health personnel to attend to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The opinion was approved unanimously and will be put to a vote in the plenary session next week.

The initiative —sent by the Executive— contemplates that medical personnel will benefit in fiscal year 2022 with an additional monthly remuneration equivalent to 25% for each hour they work at night.

Likewise, the staff will receive a single payment equivalent to 30% of their 15-day salary.

“The benefits will be financed with the allocations available in the budgets of the 31 national hospitals assigned to the health branch” the initiative contemplates.

In addition to this staff, the transversal support team in the hospital care area, such as ambulance drivers, file and auxiliary services staff, will also receive said compensation.

“Due to its nature and the importance of recognizing labor rights due to overexertion […], this decree is declared to be of public order” it is added.

The Minister of Health, Francisco Alabi, who was summoned by the health commission, was in favor of approving this initiative.

“We are facing an extraordinary situation that deserves compensation for health personnel” Alabi declared, adding that, in addition to this initiative, the Central Government has worked in recent days to improve the rest areas for medical personnel in hospitals.