New Army nurses deploying in battle vs COVID-19

Nurses recruited by the Philippine Army would be deployed to support the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic./ OACPA

MANILA, Philippines—New nurses recruited by the Philippine Army would be deployed to support the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 55 new recruits, which were seen to boost the Army’s medical response capability, will serve as staff nurses in quarantine sites and Army facilities which included the Army Wellness Center, Rizal Medical Complex and the Army General Hospital.

The nurses, who were recruited through a special enlistment program in response to the national health emergency, will be given basic military training after the pandemic dissipates.

Col. Ramon Zagala, Army spokesperson, said the first batch of 16 nurses has been in AGH since last week.

The second batch of 39 nurses, who had just taken oath on Wednesday (April 15), started a three-day training program on COVID-19 response and was given military orientation, Zagala said in a statement Wednesday.

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The new recruits will be given orientation on Anatomy and Physiology, Intro to COVID 19 Disease, Basic Infection Control (use of PPE, donning and doffing of PPE, hand hygiene, waste disposals, control of traffic and movement in the clinical area), Basic Nursing Procedures (administration of injections, care of patients with mechanical ventilators, and nursing documentations).

Because they have yet to undergo full military training, the new Army nurses were given orientation on military duties and responsibilities, military courtesy, etiquette and military discipline.

They will be part of the regular force after they complete basic military training. Those qualified would be given priority in commissioning to the Nurse Corps or Regular Officer Corps.

“They will be enlisted for an initial one term or three years,” Zagala said.

Edited by TSB