The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) assured that it will still “find the “balance” between the deployment of healthcare workers (HCWs) abroad and in the Philippines.
In today’s (June 22) Laging Handa public briefing, POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said that the 5-K deployment cap for HCWs, set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), was reached in January.
However, the IATF-EID on Thursday (June 17) allowed the increase of the annual deployment cap of HCWs to 6,500.
READ MORE: http://152.42.253.13/iatf-increases-hcws-annual-deployment-cap-to-6500/
Administrator Olalia explained that the deployment of the additional 1,500 HCWs will be given to those in the “pipeline,” meaning, those who have completed their documents and requirements, particularly those with contracts and working visas.
“Ibig pong sabihin,’yun pong nakakapag-process na, ‘yung may mga employment contracts at working visas na po, sila na po ang bibigyan natin ng Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC),” he said.
However, he pointed out that the Philippines also needs healthcare workers. Due to this, he assured that they will find the balance between the healthcare workers’ right to work abroad and the need of the country for more health workers due to the pandemic.
“Dahil mayroon pa tayong pandemya at [mayroong] National Health Emergency, kailangan tingnan po natin ang pangangailangan ng ating sariling healthcare,” he said.
“Sa kabilang dako naman po, babalansehin din natin ‘yung karapatan ng mga individual nurses natin na nais magtrabaho sa abroad.”
He discussed that based on the sustainable development goal indicator, the ideal ratio of nurses in the country must be at least 27 nurses for every 10-K population.
“Base po sa datos ng DOH, sa Human Resource Development Bureau nila, ang number po ng nasa ospital at private facilities ay nasa 183-K nurses. So may gap tayo na 120-K nurses.”
Meanwhile, Olalia said that the government respects the decision of the healthcare workers to work abroad. He also announced that the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) will conduct a nursing licensure examination in July.
Report from Kenneth Paciente/NGS-rir
