Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III said on Wednesday (June 16) that he will recommend the deployment of additional 5-K healthcare workers abroad to the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
His statement was in line with the Filipino Nurses United’s appeal to increase the 5-K annual cap of the overseas deployment of healthcare workers.
According to the Filipino Nurses United, the number of nurses who wish to work in Germany, Scotland, Japan, Singapore, Australia, United States, and the Middle East but were prohibited to leave the Philippines due to the deployment cap is at least 4-K.
Meanwhile, DOLE Sec. Bello assured that the Philippines will have enough nurses and doctors despite his recommendation.
It can be recalled that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte removed the deployment ban on healthcare workers in November. However, the deployment was capped at 5-K annually to ensure that frontliners in the country will be adequate in its fight against COVID-19. (PTV News)/NGS-rir
