DOLE Explains Limit Set on Deployment of Healthworkers Abroad
DOLE – The Department of Labor and Employment clarified the 5,000 cap set on the deployment of healthworkers abroad.
The Philippines is one of the countries that logged cases of the COVID-19 disease. As of this writing, the Department of Health (DOH) has recorded a total of 420,614 cases of the said disease.
Out of the total number, the death toll is at 8,173 while the number of recoveries is at 386,604 now. It’s been several months now since the first implementation of community quarantine measures.
Currently, the entire country is still under community quarantine measures as the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet over. Metro Manila will remain under a General Community Quarantine (GCQ) until December.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a ban on allowing healthworkers to fly abroad was previously implemented. It is to secure that the country’s healthcare system has enough manpower if the situation gets worst.
visit: 600-900 Nurses Allowed To Leave Philippines Says DOLE
The said ban has already been lifted. Instead, a 5,000 cap on the deployment of healthworkers abroad is on implementation now. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) clarified it after medical workers groups seek to remove the limit.
Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III clarified that the deployment cap is only applicable to those newly-hired healthworkers. He stressed that those who are returning to their jobs abroad are allowed to fly to other countries.
“Gusto lang natin matiyak na di tayo darating sa panahon na lumala ang COVID-19 pagkatapos ang nurses at medical workers nasa ibang bansa,” he said.
Based on the report, the DOLE Secretary also stressed that the 5,000 cap on the deployment of healthworkers abroad is “subject to regular review”. In case the cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines drops, the limit may be increased.
Bello agrees to increasing the salaries in private hospitals so nurses will stay in the country. Currently, there is a bill that proposes the pay hike for private hospital nurses in the Congress.
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