The cabinet is still going to work on a financial scheme for healthcare workers who are no longer able to work due to long-term corona complaints. Minister Conny Helder (Health Care) reported this to the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The House of Representatives has been calling for such compensation for some time. With this, the Chamber wants to help healthcare workers who fell ill during the first corona wave in the spring of 2020 and are still suffering from it.
In fact, Helder wanted the unions and employers to arrange it themselves. The Council of State says that the employer or client is officially the first to be held liable for damage that has arisen as a result of an illness contracted during work. But in many cases that is complex, the minister nuances. In addition, it was the government that made an urgent appeal to healthcare workers during the corona pandemic.
Employers in the healthcare sector have previously stated that they are unable and unwilling to participate in a financial arrangement. They indicate that precisely because of the special circumstances, a regulation from the government is better. The cabinet also feels a ‘moral obligation’ to give this group extra support, writes Helder.
The scheme is now being prepared, and it is therefore not yet clear what the scheme will look like exactly. It is also not yet known when the scheme will be ready. But Helder emphasizes that she does not want to waste “precious time”. “I also see that this group has been waiting for clarity for a long time.”