INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Around 600 to 900 registered nurses, who are exempted from the government’s overseas deployment ban on health workers, were allowed to leave the country, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Friday.
“There are only about 600 to 900 of them. So makakaalis ngayon 600 to 900 nurses and medical workers (600 to 900 nurses and medical workers are set to leave the country),” Bello said on Teleradyo, reacting to the deployment ban for medical workers.
Bello said the registered nurses have completed their requirements to work overseas on or before March 8, 2020.
“Ang rule, we imposed temporary suspension ng deployment of all nurses and medical workers pero exempted from this deployment suspension ay yung mga nakakumpleto ng papeles as of March 8, 2020,” Bello said.
(The rule we imposed is temporary suspension of deployment of all nurses and medical workers overseas. Exempted from this deployment suspension are those with complete documents as of March 8, 2020.)
Also exempted from the deployment ban are those who are currently employed overseas and are on vacation in the country.
Filipino Nurses United denounced the government’s policy to ban deployment of medical workers, saying it has no right to force healthcare workers to stay if there are greener pastures overseas that will help them uplift the lives of their families.