The public and private hospitals nationwide are facing a shortage of 106,000 nurses, the Department of Health (DOH) disclosed on Thursday, Sept. 29.
During a press briefing, Health office-in-charge (OIC) Maria Rosario Vergerie said the country is also facing a shortage of other healthcare workers including doctors, pharmacists, radiology technologists, medical technicians, midwives, and dentists.
“Sa ngayon, mayroon tayong mga plantilla positions that still need to be filled up sa ating mga ospital and we have around 624 plantilla positions for nurses. We have 1,332 midwives, plantilla, and we have around 63 dentists na kailangan natin,” she said.
Vergerie urged those who are interested to apply and said “kailangan namin ang tulong niyo sa ngayon para mag-continue ang operations ng bawat facilities dito sa ating bansa.”
The Health OIC said one of the reasons healthcare workers shortage was migration as many prefer to work abroad.
She said the health department has been pushing bills seeking incentives to encourage them to stay and work in the country.
“We have different bills being pushed in the Congress at sana maipatupad ito ng maayos at magkaroon tayo ng pondo. Kung titignan natin, kailangan lagi bina-balanse ang production doon sa migration o kaya sa dine-deploy natin,” she said.
Vergeire said they are also working closely with government agencies like the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW)s and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to solve the gap.
“Kung sakali makapagusap kami, ano ba ang ating pwedeng gawing incentives para sa ating mga healthcare workers for them not to leave the country at pangalawa, pakikipagusap sa mga bansang nagde-deploy ng healthcare workers natin, ano ang pwedeng maging kapalit para sa atin, like scholarships, exchange programs at iba pa, para naman mas magkaroon tayo ng benepisyo from this migration and also, para naman mas magkaroon ng career path ang ating mga healthcare workers going abroad,” she said.
