Medtech group to Cebu, Mandaue cities: ‘Fast-track’ honorarium
A medical technologist takes blood samples from a Barangay Tisa resident during last May’s rapid mass testing in Cebu City. | file photo — Cebu City PIO
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A group of medical technologists in Cebu has asked local governments of Cebu City and Mandaue City to expedite the release of their honorariums after working for the tri-cities strategic community testing that took place last May.
The Philippine Association of Medical Technologists-Cebu Chapter (PAMET-Cebu) issued on Sunday, June 21, its official statement, requesting the city governments of Mandaue and Cebu to fast-track their salaries. It was signed by its president, Prince Lee Balaba.
It can be recalled that PAMET-Cebu was tapped by government officials here for the implementation of the 10-day strategic rapid mass testing in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu last May.
A total of 93 medical technologists were needed for the community testing named as Project Balik Buhay that was met with heavy scrutiny due to the utilization of rapid antibody test kits.
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“Our request and appeal right now to the cities of Cebu and Mandaue is to fast-track the release of the honorarium due to participating medical technologists who have risked so much just to have the service delivered,” PAMET-Cebu stated.
“Right after the 10-day Strategic Community Testing, several follow-ups were addressed to the local government units. The City of Lapu-Lapu already released the honorarium right after the needed documentary requirements were completed,” they added.
According to its proponents, the Project Balik Buhay was intended to create a prevalence map of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
It aimed on detecting individuals, who were recently infected and had recovered from the virus but were not qualified for the gold-standard real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests.
Rapid antibody tests were used for the project, and licensed medical technologists who got hired were promised with a salary of P1,000 per day, including hazard pay. /dbs
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