Health ministry decides repossessing risk allowances to undeserving staff: sources

ISLAMABAD: The health ministry has expressed severe outrage over the distribution of risk allowance to undeserving staff in federally-administered hospitals and decided to claim it back, citing sources, ARY News reported on Sunday.

Sources told ARY News that the health ministry has decided to repossess risk allowance distributed among undeserving staff members at the hospitals administered by the federal government.

In a letter issued to the administration of the hospitals, the ministry stated that risk allowances were approved for the appreciation of health workers, however, the authorities received several complaints regarding its irregular distribution.

Read: Govt approves risk allowance for medics fighting COVID-19

The risk allowance was limited to the health workers who were specifically performing duties for coronavirus patients, but irregularities were detected in its distribution as many irrelevant staff members were awarded by some hospital administrations.

It emerged that the allowances were distributed among workers performing duties in the departments of administration, accounts and non-technical employees after the health authorities approved three additional salaries for the healthcare professionals.

The health ministry ordered hospital administrations to claim back the allowances from the irrelevant staff members and submit it to the national exchequer.

Read: Sindh doctors, paramedics to get risk allowance

Sources said that the federal government had allocated Rs480 million funds for providing risk allowances to the health workers amid emergency situation due to coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier in June, as a token of recognition of their dauntless bravery, the federal government had approved special risk allowance for the health professionals performing coronavirus duties.

It emerged earlier that the special risk allowance, equal to one-month basic salary, had been approved to be provided to 3,234 health professionals performing coronavirus duties at the federal government’s hospitals.