City and barangay health workers in Cebu City (PNA file photo)
MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) so far has yet to receive any official complaints regarding the dismissal of 80,000 barangay health workers by the newly elected village officials.
In a message to reporters on Wednesday, the DOH said it is in close contact with the DOH Regional Barangay Health Workers (BHW) Coordinators and BHW Federation Officers.
"Upon learning of this concern, the department immediately coordinated with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). In response, the DILG as directed by Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs, Felicito A. Valmocina, the National Barangay Operations Office (NBOO) shall issue an advisory to inform local government units (LGUs) on the existence and compliance to the DILG-DOH Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2023-001 on the 'Retention and Continued Service of BHWs'," the DOH said.
It will also issue a memo to DOH Regional Offices and the Ministry of Health Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao reiterating the joint memorandum circular (JMC) so that they could facilitate discussion between BHWs, the LGUs concerned and the DILG Regional Offices.
On Nov. 21, the DOH has requested the DILG through its Local Government Academy (LGA) to include the DILG-DOH JMC 2023-001 as a topic for discussion in the orientation for the newly-elected barangay officials and its nationwide dissemination via their regional offices.
"Since BHWs are considered as one of the most critical cadres in Universal Health Care implementation, the DOH also proposes to prioritize the Bill on Magna Carta for Barangay Health Workers, to further ensure that the rights of our BHWs are protected against unjust removal by barangay captains," the DOH said. (PNA)
