Question & AnswerQ&A (DOH)
It covers all persons engaged in health and health-related work employed in government hospitals, health centers, rural health units, barangay health stations, clinics, and other health-related establishments, regardless of employment status, including medical and allied professionals and support services personnel.
Public Health Workers include persons engaged in health and health-related works in government entities whose primary function is the delivery of health services, including medical and allied professionals as well as administrative and support personnel regardless of employment status.
Public health workers must discharge their duties humanely, with conscience and dignity, perform their duties with utmost respect for life, and without discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, party politics, social standing, or capacity to pay.
Transfer or reassignment may only be done in the interest of public service and the worker must be informed in writing. The worker may appeal to the Civil Service Commission if unjustified. No transfer shall occur three months before elections, and expenses for reassignments must be reimbursed by the government.
Regularly employed public health workers under permanent status have security of tenure and cannot be dismissed except for cause and after due process. Unjust dismissal entitles the worker to reinstatement with backwages plus 12% interest.
Public health workers are required to render 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week. Additional compensation is payable for authorized on-call service (50% of hourly rate), overtime, work during rest days, holidays, and night shifts according to specified rates.
Hazard Pay compensates public health workers exposed to high or low risk hazards at work. Those exposed to high risk (e.g., contagious diseases, radiation, mental health institutions) receive at least 25% of monthly basic salary; low risk workers receive 5%, with phased implementation over five years.
Whenever possible, spouses who are both public health workers shall be assigned in the same locality but not in the same office or unit. Requests for same locality assignments require written intention and are approved based on vacancy and order of request.
Persons who willfully interfere, restrain or coerce public health workers in their rights may be fined between P20,000 to P40,000, sentenced up to one year imprisonment, or both. Public officials may also face disqualification from office.
Public health workers have the right to freely form, join or assist organizations or unions to defend their interests. However, on-duty public health workers cannot strike or cease service to patients to maintain public health safety.