Palace: Deployment ban for health workers might be lifted after virus health crisis

MANILA, Philippines — The government might only lift the deployment ban on healthcare workers once the health crisis is over, Malacañang said Tuesday as it encouraged them to apply for jobs in the country.

“Hindi natin masabi kung kalian, but we have a state of a public health emergency, so siguro po pag humupa na po itong health emergency na ito,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said when asked when the deployment ban will be lifted.

(We can’t say when but we have a state of a public health emergency, so maybe we will lift it once the health emergency is over.)

“At ang dahilan po is charity begins at home. Mas nangangailangan po tayo ngayon ng health professionals dahil nga two weeks ago humingi ng time out yung ating mga frontliners,” he added.

(The reason is charity begins at home. We need more health professionals now because two weeks ago, our frontliners asked for a time out.)

Roque also encouraged healthcare workers to apply for jobs in the country’s own hospitals and health facilities, saying that the process is now easier as it is done online.

Meanwhile, the National Task Force on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. defended the deployment ban and said allowing healthcare workers to go abroad may cause a “morale problem.”

“This is a long fight po, kailangan maipreserve po natin yung strength ng ating mga health care workers. If we will allow our health care workers to go abroad, then there will be a morale problem,” Galvez said in the same briefing.

“So therefore kailangan natin ireconsolidate po natin ang ating mga health workers and we have to preserve them to serve our country. This is the heroic ano natin po na duty natin as doctors and nurses. To serve our country, to serve our people. To serve our humanity,” he added.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration had earlier temporarily suspended the deployment of workers abroad so they could help the country fight the pandemic.

/MUF