MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health has observed a “plateau” in the number of healthcare workers being accepted in its emergency hiring program for the COVID-19 response, as there have been less applicants for the initiative in the recent weeks.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire noted on Monday that there were initially several applicants for the program aimed at augmenting medical frontliners, but said that perhaps the DOH has already been exhausting the number of potential applicants especially in Metro Manila.
“Unfortunately, hirap na hirap kami kasi ang daming position, may pera na ibinigay ang Bayanihan fund, kaya lang walang takers, wala masyadong kumukuha ng mga slots na meron tayo,” she said in a media forum on Monday.
(Unfortunately, we are having a hard time because even if there are a lot of positions and there is money provided by the Bayanihan fund, there are no takers, there are not many who claim the slots. )
“Pinag-uusapan na ngayon within DOH what would be the next move to do. Nakikita kasi natin na ‘yung ating hiring ay medyo nagpaplateau, wala nang nadadagdag,” she added.
(The DOH is now discussing what would be the next move to do because we have seen that there has been a plateau in our hiring.)
Vergeire said the DOH is now coordinating with universities and institutions to expedite the hiring of medical graduates by batches.
Asked if she thinks the increasing number of COVID-19 cases might be one of the factors why medical graduates won’t apply to the program, Vergeire said: “Well hindi ko ‘yan masabi, pero ‘pag ikaw ay healthcare worker, we have a commitment to serve.”
(Well, I could not confirm that, but if you are a healthcare worker, you have a commitment to serve.)
She then urged medical graduates to not be afraid to join the hiring program since the government would be taking care of them as they do their jobs.
Nearly 6,000 medical personnel have been hired under the initiative to augment the country’s healthcare workforce against COVID-19, according to Vergeire.
As of July 9, there are 8,732 approved slots for the emergency hiring program of the DOH.