Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa MALACAÑANG FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa on Wednesday said there will be no deployment cap for healthcare workers (HCW) amid a 190,000 gap in Philippine hospitals.
Herbosa likened Filipino HCWs to an in-demand product.
READ: PH has a shortage of 190,000 healthcare workers, says DOH
“If you have a good product like a nice car or a nice TV that is being exported and is in demand, would you stop its production? No. I will just increase more and that’s where the direction we’re going,” said Herbosa in a Palace briefing.
“Since our nurses are in demand, that means we’re producing good nurses – what does that mean? We also get good nurses when you get sick in the hospital because they’re export quality – so, that means to me I’ll just produce more nurses,” he added.
According to Herbosa, the government is still trying to produce more state universities and colleges with nursing graduates.
“I’ll increase the supply if the demand is high not put a cap on it – so, that’s counterintuitive ‘di ba. So, I’d rather produce more nurses,” said Herbosa.
Herbosa met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to discuss the National Human Resources Master Plan 2020-2040, which aimed to address the gaps in workers in the healthcare system.