In June, Minister Hugo de Jonge (Public Health) announced that healthcare workers who have worked their way around the corona crisis would receive a one-off bonus of 1000 euros net.
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Last Friday it was announced which healthcare workers are eligible for the bonus. A list was also published with care professions and positions that in principle do not qualify for the bonus.
Because, the government argues: ‘They were able to perform their work in an adapted form, so that they did not run any additional risks and did not have to deliver exceptional performances’.
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Criteria
The government uses a number of criteria to determine who receives or receives a bonus, as stated on rijksoverheid.nl:
- The bonus scheme is for: healthcare professionals who have worked for patients and clients with COVID-19 between 1 March and 1 September 2020, or who have contributed to the fight against COVID-19. Or both.
- They worked between March 1 and September 1, 2020
- They do not earn more than twice the average (73,000 euros) with full-time employment. Maximum hourly rates have been set for self-employed persons and temporary workers.
Source: Central government
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They do not receive a bonus
Gynecologists, dermatologists, pharmacists and surgeons, among others, are not eligible for the bonus. But X-ray technicians are also standing on the list of employees who do not receive a bonus. And that is unjustified, says Esther van Heumen, who herself is a radiodiagnostic laboratory technician. Because: “X-ray laborers have dressed themselves daily in protective clothing and provided all Covid-19 patients in the hospital with X-rays, CT scans and / or ultrasounds.”
And thus she started a petition in which the Ministry of Health is asked to include X-ray technicians in the list of professions and positions that do qualify for a care bonus. That petition has now been signed almost 8000 times.
‘It feels silly’
Kim (full name known to the editors) also signed that petition. She is also a radiodiagnostic laboratory technician at a large hospital.
Her professional group is explicitly mentioned on the list of health care workers who are not entitled to a health care bonus and Kim and her colleagues are not pleased with that. “It’s not even about the money. Everyone has fought a fight, but ours is not seen. That feels silly.”
Mentally and physically demanding
Kim’s work consists of making X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds. Due to corona, she too, like other care workers, had to join in. “I don’t think we can be compared to IC nurses, for example, but it was mentally and physically ten times as hard for us as well.”
For example, she says that due to a lack of materials, such as mouth masks and suits, they had to make breast scans on their own. “Instead of the two of us, we had to drag a patient forward alone.”
And that often happened, because every patient in the emergency department had to be photographed, among other things. Sometimes up to ten photos had to be taken of corona patients. “We understand that material has to be saved, but you cannot keep this up. It was really tough.”
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‘We are forgotten’
Kim was deployed in the emergency department, the ic and the corona department, among others. A lot of police assistants have also done the latter, she says. “And they are not mentioned on the list either.”
She therefore wonders whether the compilers of the list know what they and other healthcare workers have done. “They do not see us, but we have seen every corona patient. We have been deployed everywhere and according to the government have a critical profession. But when push comes to shove, we are suddenly no longer and we are forgotten.”
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Exceptions possible
Despite the fact that X-ray technicians are on the list of employees who are not eligible, it cannot be ruled out that they will still be eligible. On the site of the ministry says that exceptions are possible. Some healthcare professionals on the list are still eligible. “For example because they have been temporarily assigned to a cohort unit for Covid-19 patients.”
So for them the following applies: no, unless. According to the ministry, healthcare providers (employers in healthcare) have the scope to request a bonus for these healthcare professionals as well. It is then a consideration of the healthcare provider.
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Parliamentary questions
Opposition party SP is not happy with the structure of the bonus scheme. “Why didn’t the minister make it easier? We want everyone who works in healthcare to be able to get that bonus. This cabinet shouldn’t fight that, but everyone who works hard should just get it.”
Party chairman Lilian Marijnissen will ask parliamentary questions on Tuesday. “You do not want a distinction to be made between care providers from the same institution, or that one care provider gives everyone that bonus and you don’t get it from another provider, while you are doing the same work. Then it could just be that you have the same function. only with another employer, and that one care provider receives a bonus and another does not. That should not be possible. All care providers have worked hard and that bonus is therefore also intended for them. The same applies to fair pay for all care providers. must come. “
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