Teachers group urges DepEd to ensure funds for medical checkup, hospitalization
A group of teachers on Monday urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to be “more firm” in proposing budget specific for the Magna Carta funding next fiscal year to ensure that funds for teachers’ medical checkup and hospitalization will be readily available.
Leaders of the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) met with DepEd Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla to discuss their appeal to put a halt on the paid medical examinations being done in the field and make it free of charge.
“Last week, the TDC called on DepEd to stop the on-going examinations that required teachers to pay citing violations on the part of DepEd for not providing it for free,” said TDC national chairperson Benjo Basas said.
TDC, through Basas, wrote a letter addressed to Secretary Leonor Briones informing her that “most of DepEd field offices are now requiring the submission of medical checkup” including the results of several laboratory tests like urinalysis, CBC and others that cost the teachers between P120.00 and P1, 000. “Unfortunately, those in far-flung areas are charged higher than those in the more urbanized districts and will also have to spend bigger amount for their transportation cost,” he said.
Basas said some DepEd field offices “can manage to provide this for free” and that there are “also some local government units that are giving this benefit to their teachers.”