Palace believes medical graduates, board passers to suffice resigning health workers

DALE ISRAEL

MANILA, Philippines — The Palace on Thursday believed that graduates and board passers in the medical field would suffice to replace health workers who resign for employment overseas.

“Hindi naman po nagbabago ang ating polisiya. Mayroon po tayong cap. Ang cap po ay pinataas lang from 5,000 to 6,500, at naniniwala naman po tayo na mayroon tayong sapat na graduate at mga board passers para palitan po ‘yung mga pwesto ng mga nurses na mag-a-abroad,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said during the Palace briefing.

(Our policies have not changed. We have a cap which was increased from 5,000 to 6,500, and we believe that we have enough graduates and board passers to replace nurses going abroad.)

The country earlier imposed a deployment ceiling to ensure that sufficient health workers remain in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roque’s remark came after Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. President Dr. Jose Rene De Grano on Tuesday lamented that five to 10 percent of health workers, eyeing foreign employment, file their resignation.

De Grano likewise warned that if the health workers’ resignation continues, it may strain the country’s healthcare system in the next six months.

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