Senate Press Release: Gov’t Should Address Lack of Local Jobs for Nurses
Senate of the Philippines, 15th Congress
Press Release
September 7, 2010
GOV’T SHOULD ADDRESS LACK OF LOCAL JOBS FOR NURSES – ANGARA
Senator Edgardo J. Angara is set to continue dialogues with leaders of the nursing profession to find a solution to the lack of job opportunities for nurses in the Philippines and the apparent deterioration in the quality of nursing education.
The continuing discussions set for next week will be held at the Senate and will be attended by the leaders of the nursing profession.
“I have tasked the Congressional Commission on Science Technology and Engineering (COMSTE) and the UP Law Center to help find innovative solutions to this problem,” said Angara, who Chairs COMSTE.
COMSTE Executive Director Dr. Gregory Tangonan will discuss the initiatives that the Commission members have discussed, which includes tapping nurses for the expansion of the National Teleheatlh Program, while the UP Law Center will present a draft of a bill entitled Community Health Delivery and Health Team Placement Act.
Nursing Solution
In further response to the problems of the nursing profession, Angara through COMSTE is supporting the expansion of the National Telehealth Program which aims to deploy telehealth nurses in doctor-less, remote, underserved areas of the country. This proposal already has a PHP100 Million allocation in the 2009 and 2010 GAA, which was facilitated by Angara.
Equipped with the technology, technical know-how, and mandate, these Telehealth nurses will ensure that all patients in remote underserved areas receive the best care possible. The Telehealth Nurses will be trained on how to use a mobile phone to keep patient records and to refer cases via teleconferencing to the nearest provincial or regional hospital. For specially difficult cases, they will be referred to UP Manila National Telehealth Center which has access to all the specialties in the Philippine General Hospital.
The telemedicine program has been running for the past five years through the DOH Doctors-to-the-Barrio program. It can now be deployed to doctor-less municipalities around the country.
Angara envisions that with the deployment of Telehealth nurses, people from rural communities, who are not able to consult a doctor, will be provided full access to the medical and health services they direly need.
Source: http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2010/0907_angara2.asp
Dear Senator,
We have lots of new registered nurses now and less opportunity to practice their field…if they will apply for abroad..they need clinical hospital based experienced and the problems are they are paying volunteerism, and no transport allowances ….there are health centers with no nurses what if we fill those centers as their training grounds provided that they have allowances allocated or travel expenses. why not put into law that no fees will be collected for new nurses who wishes to apply for post in a local hospital, they will just undergo three months probitionary period until they were absorbed.For experienced and comptent and qualified nurse who wishes to go abroad….like other countries..there are no placement fees collected…there are agencies who collect placement feessss plus they included VAT 12% and other fees….i can name a few not even issuing receipt for these fees they are collecting. Filipino nurses who were competent were under classified internationally…underated in terms of position and salaries….
i appeal that the issues of our nurses in the philippines will be heard…and addressed…and those who take advantage persons or institutions will face sunctions or make liable….stop corruption stop red tape…God bless Filipino Nurses…God bless the Philippines…
To Whom This May Concern,
I do not know if this website is an avenue for a person like Sen. Angara to actually read, nonetheless, there is no harm in trying.
I very much think that this program is a big BULL. It’s the same with the NARS program of DOLE before. Nothing much had really became of the nurses who participated in that program. Needless to say, they’re all jobless still. I know because I am one of them.
So what do I think is the solution for this problem? With very limited money that the government could give to us poor nurses and with the us very oversupplied, there seemed to have no solution at all.
Here is what I think. We need to sacrifice. And there are certain laws that should be rescinded.
For nurses to actually qualify to work abroad, one must have that very precious hospital experience. Telehealth nurses? It’s not going to help a nurse’s credential when he/she will wish to go abroad. NURSES NEED HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE for crying out loud. Please do not waste your money into this program as the nurses who will be participating in this program will still find themselves at the end jobless after the contract. Us NURSES, much as we don’t want to say it, dream of a better life because of the temptation of a better pay abroad.
So what should the government do?
Hire these nurse to WORK IN THE HOSPITAL but limit the contract for only a span of two years since this is the minimum requirement if one wants to go abroad, right? Demand these nurses, with the help of POEA, to secure job offers abroad. Now here’s the catch, deduct a small but generous amount from their salaries. The money that will be collected will be used to fund future participants of the program for their salaries.
I know that this might not sound very favorable to some but, we need to keep the program running. Let’s admit it. We can’t expect the government to prioritize, with all the problems of the government, the national budget to this. We need to be realistic. We all howl to ask for alms but there’s really too little to expect.
With the 15million budget, let us also study if instead of giving the minimum wage, of 8k, we could bring it down to 2.5k or 3k, only enough for some personal expenses. I guess with the very limited budget we have, we could stretch the money so that it can be allocated to more nurse participants.
It’s just my personal say. Though, this I belive, has a very high percentage of being the BEST solution for this problem. And I apologize because it’s too long. Hell, i just need to let this out.
@RN#2 – I am asking for your permission. Can I make your comment into a post?
no prob
@RN#2 – what name should I put when I make your comment into a post?
And by the way, you said:
I may have just got the perfect thing for you. If you’re interested.
Hmm.. I cannot disclose my real name. I don’t want to be famous.
Perhaps I could use a pseudonym.
I’m thinking of Melchora Aquino. She fed the hungry and nursed the sick. However I’m a a guy.
How about Melchora without the “a”. Melchor Aquino. I think that’s a good one.
@RN#2 – Understandably, of course you cannot just do that, haha. I like that pseudonym and what it alludes. Thank you.
Admin Note: Comment has been moved to: A Comment by Melchor Aquino to the Senate Press Release Entitled “Gov’t Should Address Lack of Local Jobs for Nurses”
@mr. panda – I have moved your comment to the post that I made out of RN#2/Melchor Aquino’s comment. This is the direct link to it: http://www.philippinenursingdirectory.com/2010/09/17/a-comment-to-the-senate-press-release-entitled-govt-should-address-lack-of-local-jobs-for-nurses/comment-page-1/#comment-16420
@rona rn – ok thanks! my apologies since i posted it here.
@mr. panda – No Sir it was not your fault. If you would check the timestamps, you commented first before I was able to publish that post a few minutes later. Totally my bad.