Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 20) – Senators on Tuesday urged the Department of Health (DOH) to improve the salaries of healthcare workers first before it pursues hiring unlicensed nurses.
“Sana makita muna nating ilatag ng DOH ang malinaw at kongkretong programa sa mga ospital as far as alleviating the plight of health care workers is concerned,” Senator Nancy Binay said in a statement.
[Translate: We hope to see that DOH has a clear and concrete program for hospitals as far as alleviating the plight of healthcare workers is concerned.]
“We should take a look at nurses’ salaries and provide more incentives for them to stay and practice in our nation,” Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel said in a separate statement.
Pimentel also stressed that nurses leave the country to look for higher-paying jobs abroad, which caused the lack of healthcare workers in the country.
“The proposal to allow non-board passers to practice nursing and grant them temporary licenses is a short-term solution,” Pimentel said.
“Ang pinaka-praktikal ay i-prioritize nating i-hire ang mga unemployed nurses,” Binay. “Review, amend and offer better paying contracts to our nurses; provide better benefits, and rationalize their work loads.”
[Translate: The most practical [solution] is to hire unemployed nurses; review, amend and offer better-paying contracts to our nurses; provide better benefits, and rationalize their workloads.]
According to Health Secretary Ted Herbosa, the DOH plans to grant nursing graduates, who garnered 70% to 74% marks in the boarding exam, a temporary license and hire them to address the gap in the medical workforce in the country.
According to RA 9173 or the Philippine Act of 1991, examinees of the nursing licensure exam “must obtain a general average of at least 75% with a rating of not below 60% in any subject” in order to pass.
