DBM approves hiring of additional 15,700 healthcare professionals

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the request of the Department of Health (DOH) to hire more than 15,000 healthcare professionals as the country fights the coronavirus pandemic.

According to President Rodrigo Duterte’s fifth report to Congress on government measures in response to the health crisis, P2.7 billion budget was given for the additional 15,757 healthcare professionals under a contract of service for a period of three months.

The budget is “chargeable against available released allotment of the DOH under the FY 2020 General Appropriations Act.”

“As of 22 April 2020, the DOH has received requests from seven hospitals for emergency hiring of HRH (Human Resources for Health) and has approved 701 slots for hiring in five hospitals,” the report states.

The report notes that under the health department’s HRH Deployment Program, 639 nurses have been redeployed to DOH and various hospitals handling coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients across the country.

In his fourth report to Congress, Duterte said that the health department asked for a P5.2 million budget for the hiring of 17,757 health personnel.

Of this number 15,757 were Human Resources for Health and 2,000 were deputized physicians to be deployed in priority health facilities such as the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Hospital and Sanitarium, Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine General Hospital, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, National Quarantine Facilities, and other hospitals designated for COVID-19 response.

As of April 27, there are 7,777 COVID-19 cases in the country, with the death toll at 511. The number of recoveries is at 932.