FILE PHOTO — Health workers in protective suits transport a corpse at a hospital in Manila, Philippines, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has hired an additional 700 healthcare workers to fill up the over 10,000 slots needed for the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
During an online media forum on Friday, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the number of healthcare workers hired by the agency has reached 7,847.
“As of August 26, it’s at 7,847. So we were able to hire an additional 700,” she told reporters.
The newly-hired medical workers have already been deployed to 362 health facilities across the country, according to Vergeire.
“Of course, we are still not going to stop here. We need to fill up these 10,473 slots and (there’s still our) expedited process for the hiring of health care workers because we really need to augment our facilities as of this time,” she added.
Under the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, some P13.5 billion will be allocated for the emergency hiring of more health workers in a bid to augment the country’s medical workforce.
As of Friday, the total COVID-19 caseload in the country rose to 209,544 with 3,999 additional cases.
Of the number 134,474 have recovered, while the death toll is now at 3,325.