Philippine Army, on war footing vs COVID-19, recruiting more nurses

MANILA, Philippines—To fill an urgent need for medical staff in the war on novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Philippine Army has opened a special enlistment program for registered nurses.

Army spokesperson Col. Ramon Zagala said 24 licensed nurses will undergo short training to become a part of the staff at Army General Hospital in Taguig City to augment its existing medical manpower.

“This is an important measure taken to ensure we preserve the Army and its personnel,” he told INQUIRER.net on Monday.

Because of “massive interest” in the recruitment program, the shortlist of applicants who are likely to be accepted had been quickly filled up, according to the Philippine Army Nursing Service’s Facebook page.

The Philippine Army, with some 98,000 members, is the largest service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The military has deployed thousands of soldiers across the country to enforce the government’s quarantine and isolation measures, making them more vulnerable to the rapidly spreading disease.

After the coronavirus crisis, the recruited nurses will undergo basic military training.

“They will be priority to be officers as part of the nurse corps or as line officers of the Army,” Zagala said.

Edited by TSB